Obligations - Cari'ssi'mi 4
by Joking611
Summary: Liara and Shepard (FemShep) post Noveria. Shepard brings Benezia's body home to Thessia for the matriarch's funeral. The funeral and its aftermath bring significant changes to Shepard and Liara's relationship.
1. Chapter 1 - Choices

Noveria. Cold, wind swept, bleak.

Kaidan was alone in the front cabin of the mako. In stark contrast to Shepard's outbound journey, he took particular care to keep the ride as smooth and gentle as possible. His eyes were focused on the rugged path as he slowly wove his way through the icy passes of the Skadi Mountains. It was difficult to keep the mako from bouncing in the light gravity, and he was grateful for the extra weight provided by the vehicle's mass effect fields. Accordingly, the trip back to Port Hanshan was taking far longer than the outbound journey to Peak 15 had, even though they were no longer battling Geth forces. Kaidan's focus was entirely on his driving as he did all that he could to avoid disturbing his passengers in the rear cabin. The cold outside was nothing compared to the emotional desolation in the passenger space behind him.

Liara sat in the mako's jumpseat, her legs pulled up to her chest. Her arms were wrapped around herself, but the chill she was trying to ward off wasn't external. Her typically expressive eyes had become dull and lifeless, containing no hint of their usual shine. Although her head was turned towards the window, she wasn't remotely aware of the icy terrain rolling across her field of view. Her mind's eye continued to replay her final moments with her mother. First, as Benezia had struggled against Shepard's team, then struggled against indoctrination, and finally struggled for her life. The final result of that battle was lying behind her on the blanket wrapped stretcher in the cargo compartment, something that she refused to let herself acknowledge.

While Liara was oblivious, the other occupant of the rear cabin was hyperaware of her surroundings. The mission had technically been a success, but Shepard was tortured. It was almost impossible for her to hold still as part of her agonized to take some action, any action. The few feet that separated her from Liara might as well have been kilometers. She had no idea how to bridge the emotional gulf that currently separated them, nor did she know if she should even try. She wanted to reach out to the Asari, hold her, comfort her, but she was convinced that she had no comfort to offer. She looked down at her hand in anger and frustration. This was the hand that had killed the mother of a person she realized that she was beginning to care about. The hand that today had only been able to bring pain. If any action could reinforce her belief that she was unworthy of affection, unworthy of friendship, that she was a destroyer of life, a destroyer of hope, that action had come this day.

Liara hadn't spoken, nor even made eye contact with her since the battle. After only momentary consideration, Shepard had decided that they couldn't leave Benezia's body behind. She and Kaidan had wrapped the matriarch's body as reverentially as they could, and secured her to a stretcher they had found stored in the facility's aid station. Liara hadn't participated in the recovery of her mother's body. The maiden had waited in the adjacent room while Shepard and Kaidan performed the necessary work of preparing Benezia's body for transport. Liara had even kept her eyes averted from her mother's body throughout the entire trek through the Peak 15 facility back to the mako. As Shepard observed Liara continuing to ignore the body in the cargo area, she wondered if she had made the correct decision. She considered that perhaps she should have left Benezia's body to be handled by the Noveria Development Corporation, as they had the bodies of the Geth and the other Asari. She dismissed the idea. Even now Shepard couldn't imagine leaving Benezia's body to the care of strangers. Shepard still felt that what she was doing what was right, even though she seemed to be tormenting her friend.

Kaidan glanced over his shoulder. Liara was still staring out the window, while Shepard was still staring at Liara. He reached into the space next to to him and reclaimed his helmet. He quietly slipped it on so as to not disturb his passengers with comm chatter.

"Ground party to Normandy."

"Hey Alenko, what's up?"

Kaidan was in no mood for Joker's lax radio discipline. "Transfer me to the XO, Flight Lieutenant. Now."

He heard a gulp on the other end. "Yes sir, transferring to Lt. Pressly."

"Pressly here."

"Charles, it's Kaidan. I need Dr. Chakwas and two marines to meet me at the Port Hanshan garage. We're about 20 minutes out."

"Christ. What happened Lieutenant? Are you under fire?"

"The ground team is fine, but we weren't able to save the matriarch. Liara's pretty traumatized. I need the marines to carry the matriarch's body back to the ship ahead of us. I don't want Liara to have to watch."

There was a brief pause before the XO's reply. "They're your marines Lieutenant. They're suiting up now. I'll inform the doctor. Pressly out."

When they arrived at Port Hanshan, the members of the crew Lt. Pressly had dispatched were waiting to meet the ground team. Kaidan bounded out of the mako practically before it was even to a complete stop. He quickly flagged the two marines who were waiting in the garage and detailed them to remove Benezia's body from the cargo area. He sent them on their way before opening the hatch to the rear cabin.

The Commander was already crouched at the doorway. Once the hatch was open, she turned and eased Liara out of her seat. She guided the maiden down the recessed steps in the side of the mako and to the waiting hands of Dr. Chakwas and Chief Williams. They gently turned her, and together they lead her at a slow walk back towards the Normandy.

Shepard then climbed down from the mako, her face set like stone. Kaidan started to say something to the commander, but after one look thought better of it. He assisted her in collecting their gear from the facility's mako, and then they inspected the vehicle to make certain nothing had been left behind. Once complete, they left for the Normandy as well, having taken care to delay long enough that they would not pass Dr. Chakwas and her charge during their return to the ship.

When the pair returned to the Normandy, Kaidan went right into the CIC on his way to the crew deck. He would see to the disposition of the matriarch's body. Shepard turned left and strode into the cockpit.

"Joker."

"Ma'am." The lieutenant turned in his flight couch.

"Contact Port Hanshan control and request their next available departure slot, then set a course for Thessia. I want to be on our way to the relay as soon as the portmaster clears us for departure. Right now I'm heading to the briefing room. I want Captain Anderson on the comm before I get there, followed by the council, and then whoever you can reach with the Conclave of Matriarchs on Thessia. Both Pax and Parnitha are relay systems. Since this will be an all in-system trip I want to give them as much notice as we can before we're on their doorstep."

"Yes Ma'am. We're probably only looking at 35 hours or so of transit time depending on traffic." Joker paused, "Commander..."

"Not now Joker."

"Yes Ma'am."

Shepard briskly strode through the CIC, her eyes focused straight ahead. She acknowledged Pressly, but otherwise ignored the other members of her crew. She still had her helmet under her arm when she entered the briefing room. She expected the calls to go quickly. These communications weren't going to be requests for permission, but rather notifications of fact.

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

Thirty minutes had passed before Shepard finished her business in the briefing room. Much of her time was spent waiting for the matron that Joker was eventually able to reach on Thessia. Shepard felt the surge of the engines as the ship departed Noveria while she was still explaining the details of Benezia's death to the incredulous Asari. Although it took time and several mentions of her spectre status to pierce the matron's veil of disbelief, Shepard was eventually satisfied that her wishes would be carried out, and that the Conclave would begin preparations to receive Benezia's body.

Shepard could feel the exhaustion weighing on her when she finally left the briefing room. Again she passed members of her crew without a word, this time on her way to the crew deck. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she turned and walked towards her cabin without hesitation. She couldn't bring herself to head to the medbay. Not yet.

As she entered her cabin, she stripped off her armor and headed towards the shower. She barely recognized the person in the mirror. The shoulders were slumped, and the eyes that looked back at her were haunted, defeated. The reflection was of someone who had just lost a major battle, perhaps even a war. She felt unfit for command decisions.

She shook her head and drove herself to take a cold shower. The frigid water helped her focus. It was impossible to keep wallowing in her despair while she was shivering from the cold. It also kept her moving and assisted in banishing her lack of desire to keep going.

Once she was dry, she refrained from dressing in her normal shipwear as she donned her dress blues. This was a somber occasion, and not just for her. Although technically what she was about to do was not a death notification, she felt it deserved the equivalent level of formality from the ship's commanding officer.

After she dressed, she made no immediate motion to leave her cabin. A moment of doubt had seized her. She had made the tough calls before. She'd watched friends and family die. She had had soldiers die on her watch due to both her actions, and inaction. She'd delivered heartbreaking messages to parents that their son or daughter wasn't coming home. As painful as those events had been, none of them had felt like this. None had caused this unfamiliar pain in her chest she felt when she thought about what she'd done to Liara.

She took a deep breath. It would be easy to tell herself that Liara wouldn't want to see her. Easy to believe that others should be the ones to comfort her, others who had not pulled the trigger that had killed the young Asari's mother. Easier still to tell herself that she would actually be doing the right thing by maintaining her distance for now.

No. She shook her head. That would be _too_ easy. She'd hurt Liara deeply. The very least she owed Liara was to look her in the eye and accept whatever came. It would be the hardest thing she had ever done, but she wasn't going to rationalize away her responsibility to take her lumps for the decision she'd made.

Shepard again looked in the mirror. This time the eyes burned back at her. She squared her shoulders as she willed the despair from her features. Sarah Jane Shepard had been called many things during her very active career, most of them far from flattering. One thing she had never been called, not by enemy nor friend, not by superior nor subordinate, was coward. She smoothed the lines of her dress blues, spun on her heel, and walked briskly from her cabin.

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

Shepard burst into the medbay, but entered a room empty of occupants.

She looked around, then swiftly strode cross to the entry of Liara's lab, and knocked lightly.

Dr. Chakwas opened the hatch and moved to stand in the doorway.

"Where's Liara? How is she?" Shepard craned her head to look around the doctor.

Chakwas stepped aside to reveal Liara sleeping on her cot. "She was in the Asari equivalent of shock when she arrived, Commander. Ashley and I were able to get her talking, and I've given her a light sedative. The drug isn't anything that will keep her under, but it will help her relax. She's not in any immediate danger, but she does need to be kept under observation."

"Thank you doctor, I relieve you." Shepard moved to pass the doctor and enter the lab.

"Wait just a minute." Dr. Chakwas put her hand on Shepard's chest. "You're just spent more than half the day in a firefight, and you're likely in worse shape than she is. You're practically dead on your feet. What you need to be doing is sleeping."

"Noted Doctor. I appreciate your concern, but this isn't a discussion. I would be grateful if you could have Crosby send in a pot of coffee, but I'm going to wait here until Liara wakes up."

Chakwas didn't move.

Shepard took a deep breath and collected herself. "Please Karin, I need to do this."

Chakwas looked intently at the commander. Her back was ramrod straight, her uniform spotless. However, her short red hair was wet and disheveled, and she had dark circles under her eyes. Chakwas could make a point of this, could refuse Shepard's request, and it would probably be for the best. If this were just a question of duty, she probably would.

But she knew that it wasn't.

The doctor let her arm fall. Shepard moved past the doctor and seated herself at Liara's desk. After a moment, Chakwas stepped into the medbay and let the hatch shut behind her.

* * *

A/N: Assumptions here include:  
FemShep/Liara (still pre LI)  
Later ME1 - after Suspicions and Omissions  
After Noveria, before Virmire

Shepard is:  
Colonist / Vanguard / War Hero

Obligations is the story to fill what I consider to be the largest blank in Liara's ME1 timeline, and is the main foundation to what I now think of as my "_Cari'ssi'mi_" series of stories. (Conditions, Omissions, Suspicions, now Obligations - with other stories to follow). How does Liara transition from shy and reserved archaeologist to willing to enter a relationship with Shepard? The premise is that if Shepard took Benezia's body home to Thessia, that would provide the opportunity for Shepard and Liara to interact outside of the context of battle.

As always, feedback is welcome and desired.


	2. Chapter 2 - Relations

"Thessia Control, this is SSV Normandy, requesting ALS guidance frequency," Joker waited for control to respond. They were still high in the pattern, so he expected to wait at least a minute or two for a response. Joker was not a patient man, and he chafed at not being able to fly freely from point to point. All of the mission's recent travel in the relatively light traffic of colony systems had spoiled him.

The Normandy had been under active traffic control since the relay. First with Tevura Control, then Janiri, and now finally they were being handed off to their inner system destination. This was Joker's first time to Parnitha, but as the busiest system in Council Space, transit speeds were moderately paced, and heavily regulated. He hated all of it. The amount of time spent on in-system travel had exceeded how long it had taken to make the three relay jumps to get here.

"Systems Alliance vessel, this is Thessia Control." Joker rolled his eyes at the highly formal tone coming from the overhead speakers. "You have been granted an approach vector under Conclave priority, and your guidance wavelength is 2773288233120 nanometers. Please confirm."

Joker leaned forward in his flight couch. He repeated the information to the controller as he entered the frequency into the guidance computer.

The acknowledgement came quickly. "Confirmed Systems Alliance vessel, we have control. Touchdown will occur at 14:87 local. Transportation has been provided for Dr. T'Soni and Commander Shepard. Please do not use this channel again unless declaring an emergency, Thessia Control out."

"Not much for chit chat are they?" Chief Williams was leaning against the doorway.

Joker didn't turn around. Even though he had handed off flight control, he intended to watch where they were going, especially given the amount of inbound traffic he saw all around them. "Not really. So much for the 'friendly Asari'."

Ashley snorted. "I don't think traffic control was what they had in mind when that phrase became popular."

"No, probably not. They're efficient though, as much as I hate 'em." He paused, "Have you seen the commander?"

"Seen, no. Heard of, yes. According to Dr. Chakwas she hasn't left Liara's lab since she went in, other than the occasional trip to the head. All the mess has heard from her has been 2 requests for more coffee, and one for tea. Just before I came up here Kaiden told me she called him and asked him to have her kit packed."

"If she's asked for tea, it sounds like Liara's awake."

Ashley slid into the co-pilot seat, her expression reminding Joker that she preferred not to talk about the maiden. "I'm sure."

They were silent for a while, watching the clouds below them get larger in the windows as the Normandy entered the Thessian atmosphere.

Joker broke their reverie. "So, is this funeral going to be as big a deal as it seems? There's been a massive amount of comm traffic requesting details on our arrival."

"Well, I keep hearing that Benezia was a 'powerful matriarch'. I don't know if there's a human equivalent, or even what that means, but she certainly seems to have a lot of people who knew her."

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

The Normandy had barely touched down when Shepard and Liara exited Liara's lab. Shepard slung her and Liara's bags over her shoulder, and led Liara through the medbay and took the elevator to the cargo hold. At Dr. Chakwas' request, no crewmembers were visible along their route. They exited the elevator into a hold that was empty of personnel. In addition to the usual vehicles, there was an Alliance coffin on a makeshift bier covered in the blue-green flag of Thessia. Shepard made a mental note to commend Lt. Alenko on his attention to detail, as well as the respect that he and his marines had shown the Asari matriarch. Liara stepped away from the commander and took a few steps towards the bier, but then went no further. Shepard paused for a moment, making certain that Liara seemed all right. She then moved to the ramp controls and opened the door to the hold.

Shepard squinted as Thessian sunlight flooded in. The descending ramp slowly revealed a view of the Armali spaceport behind a row of Asari dressed in all white. One of the Asari appeared familiar to Shepard, and as she stepped forward up the ramp Shepard recognized her as Shiala.

Shiala walked directly to Liara, took her hand, and leaned in close to her. They exchanged a few words too quietly for Shepard to hear. Then Shiala turned and slowly walked Liara towards the car waiting a few dozen meters beyond the cargo bay door. After a taking a few steps, Shiala looked over her shoulder and motioned that Shepard should follow. Shepard picked up her and Liara's bags, and quick stepped to catch up. As the three passed the remaining Asari, those assorted matrons and matriarchs moved forward and collected Benezia's coffin. They then carried it towards a separate vehicle designated for that purpose.

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

Liara arranged herself in the front seat next to the driver, and Shepard joined Shiala in the back of the car.

After verifying that Liara didn't need anything, Shepard turned to Shiala.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm here for the same reason you are Commander. I'm here for Matriarch Benezia's release, and to see the ascension of Liara to the head of House T'Soni. I did serve the house for over two centuries you know. I will return to Zhu's Hope when I've discharged my duties to the House."

"Wait, Liara's now the head of Benezia's House?"

"House T'Soni is effectively Liara's house now, but yes the ascension ceremony will confirm this. Asari lineage is always through the mother. Liara is both the only child of Lady Benezia, and also the last living T'Soni. As a maiden, the Conclave won't recognize any claim she might make to the title 'Lady Liara', but she's still the head of House T'Soni, with all the rights and responsibilities that entails."

"And those are..."

"Difficult to say at the moment. The T'Soni political position will be weakened somewhat without a voice in the Conclave of Matriarchs. However, House T'Soni still maintains vast wealth and commercial resources, and will remain by far the most economically powerful House in Armali."

Shepard looked down at the forested terrain they were now flying over. "I've never been to Thessia before, but I always equated Armali with 'high society' I didn't even know it had a spaceport."

Shiala laughed. "It doesn't, Commander. Not a public one at any rate. Normandy landed at a private facility."

Shepard turned back to the matron. "So we're not in Armali now?"

"The port was on the edge of the city. We're well outside the city now, but technically still in Armali province."

"Why only 'technically'?"

"We've been flying over T'Soni private holdings since we left the spaceport."

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

The journey lasted nearly 45 minutes before the car descended into the courtyard of Liara's childhood home. To call the T'Soni residence a mansion would be an insult to small arcologies. The massive complex was on a tall bluff, facing away from the sea nearly 200 meters behind.

The passengers exited the car, and once Shepard collected their bags, the driver lifted away for parts unknown. Shepard stood for a moment in complete and total awe of Liara's home. Despite having the swooping angles and rounded spires typical of Asari architecture, the mansion reminded her of nothing more than a medieval castle. She had known that Liara's family was wealthy, but she had underestimated what that meant by several orders of magnitude.

While she was staring, Liara and Shiala had started towards the door. Although Liara no longer had the greyish tone to her skin that she'd had the day before, she still didn't look entirely herself, and she offered no resistance to Shiala's efforts to guide her.

The door opened before they arrived, and a slender matriarch stepped out. She nodded to the pair as Liara and Shiala continued past, and then moved to intercept Shepard.

"I am Matriarch Alaya, seneschal of this home."

"I'm Commander Shepard, Seneschal."

"I know who you are, Human. Why are you here?"

"I'm here to pay my respects to Lady Benezia. Liara asked me to come."

"Even though you killed her mother."

Shepard refused to rise to the bait. It had taken over a day of conversation awash in coffee, tea, and tears, but Liara had convinced her that not only was she forgiven for what had happened on Noveria, but that she had done nothing requiring forgiveness. Liara was grateful for Shepard setting her mother free. She was additionally grateful for her pulling the trigger so Liara hadn't needed to do it herself. She'd be damned if this self important matriarch would send her back down that road to self doubt and despair. The only person who had the right to do that was Liara - Liara who was now on the other side of this pompous steward.

"Yes, even so."

Alaya held her gaze. For a moment Shepard reflected that it was a very long walk back to the ship. Then Alaya stepped aside. "You are a guest of House T'Soni. Please leave your bags. One of the acolytes will see you to a guest room."

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

The room Shepard found herself in was nice, but not overly ornate. The acolyte who guided her had been polite, but quiet, and had insisted on unpacking for her. That hadn't taken long as there wasn't much to unpack. Much of her kit had been filled by her dress whites, white being the color of mourning on Thessia.

Shepard had not yet had time to settle in when there was a light knock on her door. As she went to open it, the door cracked open slightly, and Liara peeked in. "Shepard?" she asked.

"Come on in Liara."

The maiden crossed in front of Shepard, moving to sit on the edge of the bed as opposed to selecting one of the high backed chairs present in the room. She still didn't look fully recovered, but now she looked nervous as well. 'Shepard," she started in a quiet voice, eyes on the floor, "Thank you so much for being here." She paused for a moment before continuing, "I was not entirely honest with you as to why I wanted you to come. I did not just invite you to attend Benezia's release, and my ascension. I am asking you to play a role in them as well."

Shepard sat on the bed next to the nervous maiden. "Of course, Liara. Anything. What do you need me to do?"

"I could hear you talking to Shiala in the car. She told you that I am the last T'Soni. A family member is supposed to stand with me during my ascension. An aunt, a sister, someone of the T'Soni line." She fell silent, the question unasked.

"And you'd like me to stand with you?" Shepard prompted.

"I am asking you to be _cari'ssi'mi_," she still didn't look up.

"I've been talking to you for months, and I think that's the first Asari word that the translator didn't catch."

"Attena," Liara automatically corrected Shepard on the name of the language, "And I do not know that there is an equivalent in Alliance Standard."

"Again, whatever you need from me Liara, I'll be there for you. If that means being your 'cariseemee', then I'd be honored."

Liara showed the ghost of a smile for the first time since Noveria. "Then it is done. The evening meal starts in an hour. I recommend that you eat well. Part of Asari funereal tradition is fasting, so after breakfast the household won't serve another meal until sunset." She rose. "I am still not certain that I am ready to eat yet, but I will ask Shiala to join you for dinner."

As Shepard stood, Liara surprised the commander as she threw her arms around the Human in a brief hug. "Thank you Shepard, this means more to me than you could know."

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

Liara was true to her word, and in just under an hour, there was another knock at Shepard's door. Shepard opened it to reveal a fairly somber looking Shiala.

Shepard stepped out of the bedroom, and fell in beside the Asari as they started down the hall. As they walked through the guest wing, she turned to to the silent matron. "What's the matter? I know the funeral is tomorrow, but you weren't nearly so solemn earlier."

"I'm worried about Liara."

"Why? What's wrong?" Shepard wondered what new crisis was precipitating.

"You don't know great deal about us Commander, but Asari culture is extremely sensitive to propriety and ceremony. That's part of the reason why Liara and Benezia had a falling out in the first place. Now that Liara will go through her ascension without someone to stand with her, it could make a bad situation worse. She is already not seen by some as a satisfactory substitute for Benezia. I had assumed that she would have arranged for someone to meet us here at the estate, perhaps one of her colleagues from the university. For her to stand alone at her ascension, it may damage her credibility permanently."

"Don't worry, Liara told me."

Shiala looked at her askance. "What do you mean 'don't worry'?"

"I mean don't worry. She told me. She asked me to stand with her, and I said I would."

"She asked _you_ to stand with her."

"Yes."

"What did she say?"

"She asked if I would stand with her."

"What were her exact words?"

Shepard huffed. "She asked me if I would be _cari'ssi'mi_." She carefully enunciated the word.

Shiala's eyes were round with shock. "And you said?"

"That I would be honored."

"And that's all she told you."

"Why, is there more? She seemed to take it very seriously, but she didn't elaborate."

Shiala paused for a moment, still looking at Shepard, and then started chuckling quietly.

"Well NOW I'm concerned. What's so damn funny? Do I have to dress up in a clown suit or something?"

Shiala put her hand on Shepard's shoulder. "No, this was just... unexpected. You don't have anything to worry about Commander. You just made my whole year. I'm just laughing because Alaya's going to be _pissed_..."

* * *

A/N: Assumptions here include:  
FemShep/Liara (still pre LI)  
Later ME1 - after Suspicions and Omissions  
After Noveria, before Virmire

Shepard is:  
Colonist / Vanguard / War Hero

Continues the story of Benezia's funeral, Liara's ascension to head of House T'Soni, and adds the first piece (_cari'ssi'mi)_ that I think would have been mentioned in canon if it actually occurred. Still building that bridge between Shepard and Liara...

As always, feedback is welcome and desired.


	3. Chapter 3 - Revelations

Shepard continued walking through the mansion with Shiala. The journey was almost a surreal experience. The hallway off her room was over twice the length of the Normandy. The walls were smooth and cream colored, while the floors were of a material visually similar to an etched stone. The wall opposite her room's entrance had a scenic view of the forest beyond the courtyard, provided by the floor to ceiling triangular windows spaced every few feet. Combined with the four and a half meter ceilings that were supported by the typical Asari asymmetrical arches, the view provided Shepard with more of a feeling of being outside than that of being in someone's home. There was still plenty of light despite the gathering dusk, and she was only barely able to see the extra blue-white light cast by concealed fixtures. The combined effect was one of artistry, rather than residence.

The hallway became a sweeping spiral staircase that Shepard followed Shiala down to the main level. The large formal reception area was busy with household staff and hired personnel preparing for large number of visitors expected the following day. As the pair navigated through the chaos towards the dining hall, an acolyte moved to intercept them and guided them out of the public areas. They quickly sliced through the crowd, and entered a passage across the room from the staircase.

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

This passage ended in curtains which the acolyte drew back to reveal their destination. Shiala never broke stride, and Shepard followed her three steps down into the sunken dining room. The room, just like the rest of the dwelling, had a feeling of luxury without being ornate. There were no paintings or tapestries on the walls as one might expect in a room like this on Earth, but the room had a richness that alluded to being a work of art in and of itself. Again, high ceilings and arches dominated the style. No chandelier or obvious light source was visible, and the indirect lighting seemed to come from multiple directions at once. A dining table made of light colored wood with a stone inlay ran the length of the room. While there were no candelabras or other comparable fixtures, there were three large, clear vases filled with a bubbling liquid as decoration. The 32 chairs that surrounded the table were high backed with arms, made of matching light wood and padded in yellow and aquamarine. 2 places had already been set, facing each other at the near end of the table. As before, the pattern was one of arcs and asymmetry. The earthenware plates and bowls were tapered ovals, the lips of the glasses were a centimeter higher on one side than the other, and the tableware was longer than the human norm, with just a hint of curve.

Four acolytes were standing in service alcoves evenly placed around the room, and as Shiala and the commander seated themselves, those individuals moved to serve the pair with a quiet grace.

Shiala and Shepard were each poured water and a purple wine. As Shepard sampled each, a member of the kitchen staff brought a large tureen of soup, which was placed on the table between the diners. Shepard matched Shiala's silent immobility and together they waited until the acolytes served the soup and retreated into their alcoves before starting to eat.

Shepard was astounded when the innocuous looking soup assaulted her tongue with a burst of flavor. Although bland in appearance and with a consistency of a bisque, the fish soup had the potent taste of sushi and raw vegetables. Other than ensuring that she didn't embarrass herself in front of her companion, the soup demanded her full attention. So engaging was the food in fact, that when Shiala spoke, it came as something of a surprise.

"You're never what I expect."

Shepard stopped for a moment, "In what way?"

"Here you are, completely at ease in this place, and yet you know almost nothing about it, or us."

Shepard waited for more, but none came. "And you base this on?"

"You are unsure of our customs, I can tell by how you mimic my behavior, and how you watch me eat. You weren't concerned enough to research our social norms in advance, yet you respect Asari customs enough to be careful not to unwittingly give offense. Your very presence on Thessia is the subject of much consternation, yet instead of maintaining a low profile, you willingly place yourself at the center of Benezia's release, one of the most visible events in a century."

"What's wrong with me being on Thessia?"

"Certainly you cannot be that unaware."

"Try me."

"One issue is that of your spectre status."

"I believe that I've done well in my short time as a spectre."

"And you have Shepard, you have. However, even though you are the first Human spectre, you aren't humanity's spectre. A great many of us have yet to conclude how we feel about that."

Shepard only offered a blank stare in return.

Shiala sighed. "There are only a limited number of spectres at any given time. Usually somewhere between 140 and 170. We're near the upper end of that range now. When additional spectres are needed, or when an individual demonstrates the distinction that suggests them as a potential spectre, they must be sponsored by a council member before the individual can be considered for spectre candidacy. Humanity has no councilor, so your sponsor was..." Shiala waited for Shepard to finish.

"Councilor Tevos."

"Exactly correct. You were sponsored by the Asari councilor, and as such, are an Asari spectre. You just happen to be Human."

"I had no idea."

"I'm surprised that this wasn't explained to you."

"There was very little time. I was granted spectre status and immediately sent out on the Normandy."

"Yes, the Normandy. The SR program was seen by many as a gift to humanity. Allow the Humans to have some new technology, let them work with the Turians for a while. This would work to put to rest any remaining antagonism between the Alliance and the Turian Hierarchy. Such a collaboration would also allow Humans to to get their bearings on the galactic stage, and would act to placate your race for the next few thousand years before Humans started clamoring for council representation."

"A few thousand years is a long time."

"Only to some. 27 years is no time at all in comparison. Think about how Humans look to the Asari. Humanity has been part of the galactic community for just 27 years, the first year of which you were at war with it. You've been given the technology to build the most advanced compact starship in existence, and instead of years of testing you take it directly into the field, into combat. The first Human spectre becomes a lightning rod for events not seen in living memory. You encounter working Prothean beacons, are present at the reemergence of the Rachni, encounter Geth incursions beyond the Perseus Veil, and you accuse one of the most celebrated spectres in history of being a traitor. All the while, humanity's ambassador to Citadel Space never ceases to stop demanding council representation. All in 27 years! You yourself are older than your race's interaction with Citadel Space. The Bolus have been waiting for a councilor since Earth's Bronze Age!"

"I'll admit, I'm no fan of Udina, but those events would be in motion with or without my involvement."

"But your involvement is what we're discussing. Although many individual humans are seen as valued partners in galactic events, Humanity as a whole is seen by many as a childish, immature, brutish species. Some believe that Humanity is unable, or at least unwilling, to do what it takes to truly earn a position in galactic society. Then you come along Shepard. You unquestioningly involve yourself where others would avoid entanglement. Yet, contrary to archetype, you negotiate first. You assume nothing. You resort to violence only when other solutions have been exhausted. Despite your military rank, you don't go into unknown situations with a legion of human soldiers at your back. You are usually seen with only one or two companions, and even those tend to be non humans. You have Asari, Turian, and even Quarian and Krogan on your team. Where is the fabled Human xenophobia? I realize that is a stereotype shared by a small percentage of your race, but not only are aliens trusted members of your crew, you have their allegiance! They willingly follow a Human! You shame us Shepard, those who would judge you, yet dismiss the Quarians as lower class citizens. You make us feel less than we are." Shiala paused. "Finally, there is one particular Asari."

"Liara."

"Yes, Liara. The daughter of one of the wealthiest and most powerful individuals in the Asari Republics. An individual you killed." Shiala raised her hand when Shepard was about to interrupt. "No, Shepard, you don't need to defend yourself to me, I experienced the reality of her indoctrination, and with what Liara has shown me, I know you did the right thing. Yet all of these actions have been performed by a Human, from a species many matriarchs had dismissed as inconsequential. Now as an Asari spectre, you perform these acts in our name. THAT is why so many Asari are conflicted about you. Being named cari'ssi'mi in one of the most powerful Great Houses on Thessia will not calm those unnerved by your actions. In fact, they may even suspect conspiracy."

While Shiara expounded on Thessia's discord in regards to Shepard, the soup had been replaced with a main course, also fish. If anything, it was even better than the soup, and again the pair were quiet for a moment while they dined on their entrees.

"I still don't know what that means."

"Cari'ssi'mi Shepard, means 'family not of blood'. When Liara told you a family member was supposed to stand with her, that was literally true. When you agreed to be cari'ssi'mi, you became a member of House T'Soni, not in name, but in fact. You're _family_ now Shepard, in a society that values familial bonds above all others. I'd say think of yourself as an aunt or older sister, but I've seen how Liara looks at you. Let's say, a distant relative. By offering to make you a member of her family, Liara is telling the Republics that there is not an Asari whom she trusts more than you. By accepting that status, and by standing with her tomorrow, you are publicly stating that you will assist Liara with her family obligations, that you'll defend the House, and that if Liara dies without progeny, you become the head of House T'Soni."

"Holy shit."

"Indeed. Liara has entrusted you with all that she has, all that she is. You hold her life in your hands Shepard. Given that you are a Human adult and she is only a maiden, you could possibly even contest her for control of the familial assets and win."

"That's not going to happen."

"I know Shepard. Despite what you're done for me, despite what you've done for Zhu's Hope, and despite what you're doing for Thessia now, whether they like it or not, it's Liara's complete trust in you that has convinced me of the purity of your honor. You weren't thinking of gain when you accepted becoming cari'ssi'mi. You didn't even know what it meant. You said yes because Liara asked you, and Liara knew you would. She was so certain of your answer that she didn't even bother to explain the request. It didn't matter to you what she was asking of you. All that mattered to you was that it was Liara doing the asking."

Shepard shifted uncomfortably in her seat as she reflected that it was well past time for a subject change. She looked around the room. "I find it difficult to think of Liara in the context of this house, this wealth. She never behaves like she was raised in privilege."

"Benezia didn't spend much time here at the main residence. Most of her businesses are in Armali and the Conclave meets in Serrice. She maintained apartments in both, as well as in Dassus. Liara went to school as a child in Armali, and attended university in Serrice. Although she wanted for nothing, she wasn't raised in extravagance."

"And she left it behind."

"She did. No one expected Liara, and many resented her presence. Benezia had been active in business and politics for over 600 years before Liara was born. Benezia had 2 sisters. One was a commando, and one was the captain of a freighter. Both died before the age of 500. It was widely expected that the T'Soni line would die out with Benezia. She was childless when she reached her 900th birthday. There were many who were eagerly awaiting the distribution of the T'Soni assets. Liara's unanticipated arrival upset many plans. Ironically, she wasn't even interested in the T'Soni wealth."

"So Liara was an _accident_?"

"The accident was that Benezia fell in love. It happens, even to a matriarch. She fell in love again when Liara was born. Liara was incredibly intelligent. She had the political acumen of an acolyte, and the physical prowess of a commando. It was a joy to train her. You should have seen her play skyball! Unfortunately, she was also shy and reserved, and had the temper of her father. Benezia had decided that her father would be a bad influence, which is why Benezia separated from her bondmate before Liara was born. Unfortunately, Liara developed that temper anyway. That temper manifested most strongly when she was adamant that didn't want the life that Benezia had planned for her. She had her own interests, and was content to pursue them. Benezia originally condoned Liara's archaeology hobby, but expected that the interest in it would be short lived. It wasn't. When Liara announced that she was going to seek a degree in xenoarchaeology from a public university, Benezia forbade it. Liara obtained a scholarship and went anyway. Their communication ever since has been sporadic and strained. Liara hasn't availed herself of any of the assets of House T'Soni in over 35 years. It's been far longer than that since she's been in attendance here at the main residence."

"And since then she's lived on remote planets, digging for artifacts."

"She has, and had been happy to do so from what I've understood. Liara and I have had occasional contact. Based on our communication, I never would have imagined her serving as a combatant on a Human starship."

"I can't imagine the Normandy without her." Shepard surprised herself at the truth in the spontaneous disclosure.

Shiala considered Shepard for a long moment. "It's getting late. Let's get you back to your room. Tomorrow will be an eventful day."

* * *

A/N: Assumptions here include:  
FemShep/Liara (still pre LI)  
Later ME1 - after Suspicions and Omissions  
After Noveria, before Virmire

Shepard is:  
Colonist / Vanguard / War Hero

Shiala explains to Shepard that things on Thessia aren't all that they appear to be.

As always, feedback is welcome and desired.


	4. Chapter 4 - Devotion

Shepard paused after she stepped into her room.

Something wasn't right. The air wasn't as still as it should be, and there was a slight scent of the ocean. She left the door ajar behind her as her eyes swept the room.

_'There,'_ she thought.

The curtains were moving slightly. She gently slid her HWMP from its holster, and moved out of the line of sight of the balcony. She inched up to the wall adjacent to the balcony door, and took a deep breath as she prepared to charge through it.

_'One, Two, Thr...'_

She heard two words. The two words most likely to make her stand down, to calm her agitation, to flush the adrenaline from her veins.

"Hello, Shepard."

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

"I am sorry I startled you Shepard. Alaya had the staff put me in my old bedroom. Benezia had changed nothing. It was exactly as it was when I lived here. There were too many memories. Bad ones, angry ones, memories of the fights I had had with my mother. I do not want my time here to be spent thinking about those days. I finally asked to be moved to other quarters."

Shepard had found the maiden on the balcony leaning on the railing and drinking a glass of the same purple wine she had enjoyed at dinner. Shepard had poured herself a matching glass from the decanter provided in the room and joined her. Shepard was looking out at the sea while she listened to Liara expound on her estrangement from her mother. When Liara finally paused, Shepard turned her head to regard the maiden and decided that Liara looked... better. Shepard believed that the fact that she seemed to be taking an active role in her own life again was also a good sign.

Liara caught her looking. "I needed time to clear my head, and I wanted to see if you were back from dinner. You were not, so I waited as opposed to walking all the way back to the residence wing."

"All the way back?" Shepard was incredulous. "How far away is your room?"

Liara blushed, but it was difficult to see in the dim light. "Not THAT far Shepard, It is only a 5 minute walk."

Shepard rolled her eyes. "You could have just called me on my omni-tool if you needed something."

Liara ignored the comment as she took another sip of her wine and again turned to face the sea. "Did you tell Shiala what we discussed earlier?"

"I did. She was surprised." Shepard didn't elaborate, instead letting Liara assume that Shiala had explained cari'ssi'mi to her. "She also let me know that I'm not all that popular on Thessia right now, and that coming to the funeral may not have been a good idea."

"She is protective, as is to be expected. She was the captain of the guard here from before I was born until after I left. She is afraid for me, afraid for the challenges I will face as head of the House."

"Are _you_ afraid?"

"My mother was an exceptional administrator Shepard. She always recruited the best, and then let them do their jobs. Managing the assets of the House will require little direct involvement from me. I knew this day would come, and I have made preparations for it. I was just not emotionally prepared for the fact that when this day arrived, it would be because Benezia would not be here anymore. My mother was nearly 1000 years old Shepard, but she was in excellent health. I always thought that we would reconcile long before my ascension, perhaps even after I had children of my own."

"But are you afraid?"

Liara sighed as she stared into her glass. "I am saddened by what has happened. I miss my mother terribly and I regret the time that I will now never spend with her." She turned back to Shepard. "But I am not afraid. Not while you are here."

The pair was silent for a while, content to watch the ocean. Few stars penetrated the mostly cloudy sky, a precursor to the rain forecast for the following day. It was early spring in the southern hemisphere of Thessia, and the breeze coming off the ocean was cool, but not cold. Shepard reflected that she would be waiting for a long time for a tide to come in, as Thessia had no moon. The waves were nearly uniform, driven by the offshore wind. Shepard had changed into shipwear before dinner, but Liara was clothed in a traditional high collar Asari dress, albeit all white as opposed to one with the typical two or three colors. Shepard automatically thought that Liara would get cold quickly until she remembered that as an Asari, Liara's body temperature was 34 degrees, as opposed to her own 37.

Eventually Shepard prompted with "So about tomorrow..."

"Thessian rites for the dead, what you call a 'funeral' are very simple compared to what I have read about human ceremonies. Such events are not a tribute to the fallen, as they commonly are for your people. There is little benefit to rousing speeches augmenting the deeds of a deceased individual in a society of telepaths. Everyone close to my mother would have had an unique perception of Benezia's essence created by any melding that had occurred during her life. Asari often meld with close friends, trusted lieutenants and advisors, relatives, and anyone else with whom they have a relationship of a personal nature. When an Asari dies, it is to those memories, the pieces of the other left in our minds that we turn to. My mind is filled with many segments of Benezia's essence, all tailored to our unique relationship. My deeply personal awareness of Benezia is entirely different from the one held by Alaya, Shiala, or anyone else who shared a relationship with my mother."

"So what is a Thessian funeral?"

"Our 'rites' are simply a gathering to say the final goodbye. Again, this is more ritual than serving a particular purpose. Our people and culture have strong ties to water, to the ocean from which we came. Individuals who have a personal connection to the deceased gather when the physical body is consigned to the ocean. 'Mourners' assemble along the water's edge to observe the funeral dory until it disappears over the horizon, which signifies the release of the individual from the obligations they had during life. This time is usually spent in reflection on time spent with the deceased, and the impact that person had on our lives."

"Shiala told me that the staff is expecting over 20,000 people tomorrow. That doesn't sound like a gathering of close friends."

"Remember Shepard, 1000 years is a long time to build relationships. In addition to friends, many members of the Conclave will attend, as will business partners, long time staff, acolytes, commandos of the House, and others that Benezia had occasion to form bonds with. But you're right, many will not be those with the kind of link to my mother that I described. Some will be here as guests of other attendees, some to witness a historical event, some just to be seen. Many will be here to observe my ascension, which will precede the Benezia's release. Some of those will use the occasion to curry favor with me in the event that my policies and protocols will in some way differ from Benezia's. The guest list is very diverse, and few who actively sought to attend could be refused at risk of giving offense. Most will arrive in the morning, and depart as soon as the dory carrying my mother's body is out of sight. Fewer than one hundred guests are actually staying here tonight as guests of House T'Soni. Less than half that number will remain tomorrow night."

"I can't believe you have nearly a hundred other guests here and I haven't seen one of them."

"The residence is large enough, with ample staff, to see each guest's needs individually." Liara turned away.

"And..." goaded Shepard.

"And, we have been careful to keep you separated from the other guests, Shepard. Especially the members of the Conclave, and Councilor Tevos."

"Tevos is here? Wait, why are you keeping me from them?"

Liara turned back to Shepard. "I thought that given your current problematic position in the public eye, it would be best to not have to engage with any government officials until after my ascension."

"Which I now apparently have a role in."

Liara's eyes now turned to the floor between them. "Yes, Shepard, unless you have changed your mind."

"I haven't changed my mind Liara, you just haven't told me what you need me to do."

"Observance of the ritual is simple. Whichever matriarch has been selected to perform the ascension will ask me if I am ready for the responsibilities of leading a Great House. She will then ask who stands with me, ready to provide counsel or even act in my stead should I prove unable to meet the challenge. I will introduce you, and we will be recorded as holding right and responsibility to all elements of House T'Soni; capital, commercial, and political. Like Benezia's release itself, the actual event will be very brief."

"If you need a 'second' to ascend to head of the House, who is that person now? Why didn't they become the new head?"

"When Benezia ascended, she selected her eldest sister to stand with her. She was killed nearly 400 years ago. Benezia had no other living relatives until I was born, and would never have selected someone from outside the family as a replacement."

"Like you did?"

For the first time Liara looked annoyed. "I am not my mother."

"Sorry. But how often does this happen, that you have to select someone who wasn't a member of the family?"

"Unlike with humans, Asari familial legacy is only through maternal lineage. Fathers and bondmates are not a factor in Asari inheritance law. Thus, this can happen more often than you might think. The size of our population is more a function of our long lifespans than a high rate of fertility. Also, Asari reproduction is a deliberate act. It very rarely happens by accident. With such a long future to look forward to, many matrons and matriarchs postpone having children, which leads to small families. One or two accidental deaths and a family line can suddenly find itself with no one to continue it."

"And how about what you're doing? How often does that happen?"

"Do you mean bringing a member of another species into the line of succession of a Great House, or a Human specifically?"

"Either."

"Never, to my knowledge."

"Great."

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

Shepard woke before the dawn.

She stepped out onto the balcony and took in the view of the ocean. The household staff and hired personnel were already setting up seating along the overlook for the ceremony. From her vantage point it stretched as far in each direction as she could see, filling the space from the residential compound to the edge of the bluff 200 meters away. The sky was overcast, a harbinger of the rain that was expected in a few hours. When she'd mentioned the forecast the night before, Liara had been unconcerned. Apparently rainy funerals were considered a favorable thing on Thessia. Something to do with the Goddess' approval of the departed. Shepard chalked it up to the Asari love of water.

Shepard had offered to escort Liara back to her room when their conversation had finally wound down, and her concern for Liara overcame her desire to share the maiden's company. Liara had told her it wouldn't be necessary, and Shepard had tried to press the issue. In response, Liara had simply opened Shepard's bedroom door to reveal Shiala, who had apparently been waiting in the hall since Shepard's return from dinner. At least they'd both looked suitably embarrassed.

It was time to move on with the day. Shepard opened her omni-tool, and called Dr. Chakwas.

"Good morning Commander. Is there something you needed?"

"Just checking in Doctor. Do you know when you expect to arrive?"

"In about 6 hours Commander. We've been assigned priority transport and seating."

"Are you planning on staying?"

"I am, and Jeff may as well. I think most everyone else will want to see Armali while we're here."

"Makes sense. It isn't often an Alliance crew has an opportunity to take leave on Thessia. The ceremony is supposed to be very short, so Lt. Pressly should be able to rotate through the duty roster to get everyone at least one full day to explore the city. Liara will have transitional obligations through tomorrow, so we likely have a little over 2 local days until departure."

"Understood Commander."

"Please spread the word to anyone who is coming that they should have a large breakfast. Apparently fasting is a sign of respect, so there won't be any meals served until sunset."

"I don't think Wrex needed an order to overeat, but I'll pass the word along."

"Thank you Doctor."

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

Shepard dressed after breakfast, not wanting to risk a stain on her dress whites. Although she had not spoken to Liara, they had seen each other several times during the morning. Liara had been busy meeting dignitaries while being attended by various acolytes. Liara was in a full length white dress with long sleeves, a white hat and gloves, and a veil reminiscent of a Human wedding veil. Shepard didn't know what the dress was made out of, but it must have been extremely thick and heavy, as it barely moved with Liara's motions.

Most of Shepard's morning had been spent just staying out of the way. Matriarchs, regional government officials, and businesspeople had been arriving for several hours. She had been intrigued by the dance of the T'Soni staff moving those worthies through the house as they each sought private meetings with Liara. Shepard had quickly identified the pattern of disposition. Many were simply served something to drink and escorted from the main foyer, through the home, and outside the to join the growing crowd behind the residence. A smaller group was lead to a ballroom. Liara moved through this group every 45 minutes or so, accepting condolences and offers of assistance, which she always seemed to decline. The final group was escorted by individual acolytes, and were led one by one into the office where Liara was holding private meetings. These occurred every 10 minutes or so. Shepard was unsurprised to observe that both Councilor Tevos and Sha'ira were members of the final group.

Eventually the morning began to wane. Household staff began assisting in directing the remaining groups and individuals to their assigned areas. Apparently that hadn't included Shepard. She continued to watch the slowly organizing assemblage from her position in the drawing room. Liara had drilled into her that once everything stated moving, her position during the event would be one pace back and one pace to the right of her position. That in mind, Shepard had made a point to always know where Liara was as the morning progressed. At the moment Liara's position in the great room was in her line of sight, where she was in discussions with Alaya and several staff to whom Shepard had not been introduced. Shepard kept her attention split between the crowd and confirming that Liara was still in the house.

The assemblage was starting to settle. Few were left to make it to their seats. Shepard estimated that they had exceeded the anticipated guest count, but being Asari, they were relatively quiet and well behaved. Without a visible cue, quiet music began playing outside that reminded Shepard of synchronized windchimes. Shepard moved to join the group standing around Liara as she started making motions towards the double doors to the outside. Looking beyond Liara, Shepard could see a matriarch start making her way towards the dais at the edge of the bluff. When the matriarch was about halfway to her destination, Liara started walking as well, and Shepard fell in behind her.

Alaya stepped in to stop Shepard. "Now where are you going Human?"

Shepard scowled. "I'm following her," she indicated Liara.

"This is Asari business, _T'Soni_ business, and you have no place in it Human."

Liara had kept moving forward, focused on her destination, and was almost to the door. Shepard started to wonder if this was going to degenerate into a physical altercation when Shiala stepped between them. "Shepard is to stand by Liara for her ascension."

"The hell she is," Matriarch Alaya growled in return. "I won't stand for it. Better for Miss Liara to stand alone than to stand with a Human."

Liara whirled with fire in her eyes. "You have no choice _Seneschal_," Liara made the word a curse. "Shepard has been named _cari'ssi'mi_ in House T'Soni. Serve your House, or depart and do _not_ return."

Alaya paled. She bowed to Liara, and then to Shepard. "My apologies Peeress. I shame this House with my actions." She brought her hands together in the Asari manner of respectful submission, one hand over a loose fist, and backed out of the maiden's way.

Liara turned and resumed her stately walk towards the door. Shiala nodded to Shepard, then indicated she should catch up with Liara. As Shepard passed her, Shiala whispered "One step behind, one step to the right, and don't say anything. You'll do fine."

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

Liara stepped through the door from the great room to the veranda. As she walked across it she was able to see the full size of the crowd for the first time. The silence was broken by murmurs when Shepard stepped from the residence and into view. She had expected this, as her intent had been discussed with no one outside of Shiala. She ignored the chatter as her eyes moved across the attendees. She identified several groups in the time it took her to cross the veranda to the promenade. She could see the gathered members of the Conclave, representatives from local industrial groups, and a large number of employees of House T'Soni. It made her smile when she saw that several colleagues from the University of Serrice were also in attendance. She was certain that a request for endowment would come shortly.

Although Matriarch Elina was already facing her from the dais at the edge of the bluff, Liara continued her walk down the promenade at a slow and dignified pace. Her eyes continued to scan the crowd, and she nodded to those she knew as she passed them. The crew of the Normandy had been placed adjacent to her path to the dais, the non humans among them the only color in a sea of white. Her heart melted when she realized that the entire crew was in attendance even though she knew that Shepard had given no such order. As she passed she made eye contact with each of them in turn. Some stood out in her mind; Dr. Chakwas, her confidante, Tali, the younger sister she'd never had, Joker, perhaps the most human of them all, with his back straight and a formal expression on his face, the powered chair he sat in his concession to Thessia's 1.1 g. When her gaze met Lieutenant Alenko's, all of the human crewmembers joined him in a crisp salute.

She managed not to let the water in her eyes complete their transition to tears, and even regained her composure by the time she reached her destination. She walked the three steps up to join the matriarch at the top. She didn't need to turn to know that Shepard remained one step below, continuing to follow her lead.

Elina was relatively young to be a member of the Conclave, recently transitioned to the matriarch stage. Liara assumed her assignment was meant to be an insult of some kind, but secretly she was relieved. What she was about to attempt might not be possible with too inflexible a functionary. Elina likely would not realize all the ramifications of what was about to occur, which would work to Liara's benefit. It also didn't hurt that Elina seemed flustered by the actions of the crowd. She was already running behind, and Liara didn't believe that the matriarch had expected the crowd to be a factor in her timing. Liara could see Benezia's dory behind the matriarch, already nearly a third of the way to the horizon. If Elina believed she needed to hurry, Liara could use that to her benefit as well.

The matriarch impatiently waited for the crowd to settle before speaking. The slight murmurs eventually passed, the various media representatives stopped sweeping the crowd and focused on Elina.

"It is a time of transition, a time of beginnings, a time of endings. Lady Benezia has passed. She no longer stewards a great house. Yet, House T'Soni persists, and needs one of her own to assume the role that Benezia so adeptly filled."

"Is there a T'Soni present?"

Liara took a breath. "There is."

"And her name?"

_'You know my name you silly biddy. Do we have to follow the old interpretation?'_ Liara thought. Then she said simply "Liara."

"Liara, are you ready to ascend to the status of head of a great house? The house of your mother, your grandmother, and all the generations before?"

"I am ready."

"And who stands beside you in this monumental task? Who will act as trusted advisor, perform as your executive, and even supplant you if you prove unworthy of the burden?"

"Sarah."

The matriarch blinked.

_'This is where it gets interesting,'_ Liara thought. _'This is where she will challenge or not. They never expected me to Name her, that instead I would stand alone, with Shepard only here for moral support.'_

The matriarch leaned in to Liara, knowing that it would take a moment for the shotgun microphones to follow with her head out of position. "Are you sure you want to do this Miss T'Soni?"

Liara didn't move. "Doctor." she replied, her voice firm, giving no ground.

"What?"

"Matriarch, my title is doctor, not 'miss'."

_"Doctor"_, she hissed, "are you _certain_ that you want to designate a hum... someone not of Thessia to stand with you?"

"Not of Thessia?" Liara's pitched her voice to carry to the crowd. The microphones followed her just fine. "Sarah is an Asari spectre. She represents our race as an agent of the Citadel Council. She has saved my life and also freed Benezia from mental enslavement. She has defended my person in battle against Krogan, Batarian, Geth, and even members of her own race. She is cari'ssi'mi in House T'Soni. If you would believe her 'not of Thessia' perhaps you should have spoken with Councilor Tevos before this ceremony."

The matriarch rocked back on her heels. Forcefulness was not what she had been led to expect from the T'Soni maiden. She turned to her left where the attending members of the Conclave were gathered. None would meet her eyes. Just beyond them, Councilor Tevos had gone so far as to turn her head the other way.

_'Message received. I'm on my own on this one.'_

Elina turned her attention to Shepard.

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

"Sarah," Elina began, "Are you prepared to stand with Liara?"

Shepard hadn't expected to be addressed, but she took a swing at it. "I am."

"Even realizing that this is not a short term commitment? Given your lifespan, you will likely be obligated to the wellbeing of House T'Soni for as long as you live."

Shepard heard Liara draw a sharp breath through her teeth. _'Yep, this is definitely going off script.'_ She thought. She met the matriarch's gaze. "I understand what is being asked of me."

"And your willingness is neither based on a feeling of indenture due to your spectre status nor for potential gain?"

Shepard could feel the waves of hostility from Liara, but the maiden wouldn't place herself in a position of impropriety by speaking. "My willingness is based on the fact that I was asked."

Elina paused. She was backed into a corner. They weren't giving her anything to work with. She turned again to the other matriarchs. Still no support there. _'So be it.'_ She stepped back in front of Liara.

"Doctor Liara T'Soni, the Conclave of Matriarchs confirms your ascension to head of a Great House of Thessia. We wish you peace and prosperity".

Elena stepped around Liara to face the crowd. "Lady Benezia T'Soni has fulfilled her final duty. We release her of her obligation to her House, and rejoice in the passage of that responsibility to a daughter well trained. Please join me in wishing Benezia a peaceful journey to the arms of the Goddess."

Mourners and others assembled rose from their seats. Some moved to the edge of the bluff to better see Benezia's dory, which by now was at the edge of the horizon. Others hung back, clearly not as interested in this part of the ceremony.

Liara moved to the edge of the dais, overlooking the ocean. Shepard followed. When she came up beside Liara, she could see the tears.

Just then the skies opened, and it began to rain. Not a cold rain, not a hard rain, but a heavy rain. Guests started moving quickly towards the T'Soni residence or to their transports. As the crowd became well and truly soaked, the dory crossed over the horizon.

Liara sank to her knees and sobbed "Oh, mother..."

Several acolytes and other well wishers attempted to come to her aid. Shepard held them back. Liara needed this, needed time to say goodbye. This was not a moment to be shared with strangers or near strangers. Although several individuals made attempts to reach the maiden, none were willing to cross an angry spectre to do so. Eventually they moved away. As the rain continued to thin the crowd, and it became obvious that Shepard wasn't going anywhere, even the acolytes retreated to the residence.

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

It was late afternoon, and the dark sky was getting darker still as evening approached and Parnitha drew closer to sunset. Dr. Chakwas joined Joker on the veranda. Although the roof kept the rain at bay, it did nothing against the cool wind. It was chilly enough that for a moment the doctor considered going back to her room for something warmer to wear.

Joker and Chakwas were among the only Normandy crew remaining in the residence. Garrus and Tali had departed almost immediately after the rain started, mentioning a search for a dextro restaurant. Wrex joined them, as an Asari funeral was not his idea of an entertaining afternoon. Many of the human crew also left at the same time as the aliens, to return to their duty stations on the Normandy. Those that remained were part of the first leave rotation, and had trickled out over the course of several hours, some by themselves and some in the company of local Asari. Other than Joker and the doctor, only Chief Williams remained. She was talking shop with Shiala.

If the rain wasn't bad enough, the encroaching dark made it harder still to make out the forms of Liara and Commander Shepard at the edge of the bluff. Once it had become clear that the commander would allow no one to interfere with Liara's grieving, staff and guests had given the pair a wide berth as the assemblage dispersed. Shepard had verified that Liara was uninjured, then returned to her prior position of one step right, one step back, and had assumed a stance of parade rest.

That was nearly 7 hours ago.

Joker looked up at the doctor. "How long are they going to stay out there?"

"As long as Liara needs to, I suppose."

"But they have to be freezing! Shepard, anyway. Besides, it's not even been 4 full days since Noveria. Do you think Shepard's even slept?

Doctor Chakwas briefly closed her eyes, reflecting on the difficulty of maintaining the health of her most challenging patient. "I've spoken to Alaya, she's some kind of majordomo here. She assures me that Shepard got at least some sleep last night, although she seems more worried about Shepard than I am."

"I doubt that's possible. Besides, I thought everyone said that Asari funerals were supposed to be short. What are they still doing out there?"

"I assume that Liara is saying goodbye to her mother. Shepard is standing with her, as she said she would."

"But how? Shepard had to be exhausted when this started. I can't believe she's been strong enough to stand at parade rest for nearly half a day."

Chakwas reflected that although Jeff was very intelligent, there were some things he didn't allow himself to see.

She looked down at her friend. "Liara is her strength."

* * *

A/N: Assumptions here include:  
FemShep/Liara (still pre LI, but we can see it coming, even without knowing the story, right?)  
Later ME1 - after Suspicions and Omissions  
After Noveria, before Virmire

Shepard is:  
Colonist / Vanguard / War Hero

Liara says her final goodbyes to her mother...

As always, feedback is welcome and desired.


	5. Chapter 5 - Influence

Tevos was watching the ocean.

As was her nature, she had been early to wake. While she had been preparing for the day her staff had informed her that Liara had left an invitation to share the morning meal. She accepted, but also informed the attendant to relay her request that Liara not be awakened. She would wait until the maiden woke normally. Given yesterday's events, Liara likely needed all the sleep she could get.

Now Tevos waited in the breakfast lounge, with one member of Liara's staff present to administer to her needs. She had assured the nervous young attendant that she had no immediate requirements, and would wait for service until the patrician of the residence joined them.

As she stared out the window, the time gave her opportunity to reflect on the developments of the day before. Liara had both impressed and angered her. Although Tevos had not seen Benezia's daughter in person since Liara was in her forties, she had anticipated little reason to upgrade her opinion of the maiden's political prowess. Since Liara's estrangement from Benezia, the maiden had maintained a reputation of being shy, studious, and socially awkward. Liara had remained disengaged from the family businesses, or politics in any form. Given Benezia's towering presence, there had likely been little room for Liara to blossom in those areas in the T'Soni household anyway. Tevos wondered now if there was more of Benezia in Liara than anyone had suspected.

The last few days up through Liara's ascension ceremony had certainly given Tevos cause to reassess her stance in regards to the young doctor's abilities. All of Thessia had watched while a daring manipulation of political position and public perception played out on a vast scale. First, the maiden had managed to transition her mother's name from that of renegade turncoat to sympathetic victim. Before the Normandy had even arrived, reports verifying the legitimacy of indoctrination had reached Thessia from both Noveria and Feros. Thesssian physicians had been dispatched to those systems to attempt to provide treatment to colonists and Benezia's surviving staff. Rana Thanoptis herself, the acclaimed neuroscientist, had announced her intent to launch a research initiative into the science of indoctrination. Second was the actions of the crew of the Normandy. The press had taken immediate note of the expression of solidarity with Liara when she had passed them during her ascension ceremony. In addition to the support demonstrated by the Human crew, the image of the Krogan, Turian, and Quarian among them had provided a powerful visual which was still making the rounds in the galactic press. Finally there was Shepard. No newly minted spectre has been such a galvanizing figure on the galactic scene since Saren himself had been granted spectre status. Shepard was the one who had assembled that crew, including Liara. This was a team that gave no indication of loyalty to the mission or the council, but instead to each other and to Shepard herself. Shepard who brought Matriarch Benezia's body home, and who threw her own credibility behind the image of Benezia as a force of good who had been overcome by an unexpectedly powerful enemy. Shepard who was now a member of the T'Soni family - not de facto, but de jure. Tevos shook her head. No one could have anticipated that Liara would bring the human to stand with her. That she had gone the additional step to name her cari'ssi'mi and place her in the line of succession for House T'Soni was inconceivable, and might not have been permitted had a more experienced matriarch been tasked with the ascension ceremony. Selecting Matriarch Elina had been a mistake. Tevos' mistake. The choice had been designed to accentuate the need for humility in the young maiden. Make her feel unimportant, imply that she should sit on the sidelines for a few centuries before flexing her newfound power. When Liara had Named Shepard, and had gone the extra step to imply that she was Tevos' endorsed choice, it became clear that Liara planed to take a very aggressive stance as the new head of House T'Soni. Tevos had been left in the unenviable position of accepting Liara's words, and implying that yes she endorsed Shepard, or speaking against Liara and creating a public incident that would result with no clear victor. In the end, she had held her tongue. However, her anger at being manipulated by the maiden was palpable.

One of the doors to the lounge opened, and a flustered Liara stepped into the room dressed in an elegant crimson nightgown and robe. "Veleda!" she exclaimed. "I apologize. I never intended to make you wait. Alaya should have had me awakened."

Tevos met Liara halfway to the table and took her hands. "No apologies necessary young one. After the events of yesterday, even if you had not awakened before my departure I would have taken no offense. You seemed barely able to stand when Shepard led you in from the rain."

Liara's head dropped. "I apologize again Matriarch. I was not at my best."

Liara's comment was was an understatement. The maiden's obvious distress; the purple rimmed eyes, the sobbing breaths, the clear exhaustion were all that had prevented Tevos from airing her grievances the prior evening. That was probably to be preferred. It was always better to have these discussions in a more civilized manner. The words had more impact that way.

A breakfast of fruit, warm ke'ha and kaffe was being served. Tevos gestured to the table. "Sit young one, let us eat. We have much to discuss this morning."

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

Words intruded on her dreams.

...know what you've done...

...friend of your mother's...

...can only cause difficulty...

Shepard woke slowly. The dreams were left behind, but the voices were still there. It was difficult to clearly make them out, and she didn't yet feel particularly motivated to investigate them. She stretched. She felt almost decadently comfortable. She was deliciously warm, something she felt like she would never experience again when she and Liara had finally made their way back to the residence the night before. She opened her eyes. Her room was bright with the light of Parnitha. Looking down, she identified the weight she felt on her chest as a colossal comforter, thicker than she was. She kicked it down, and exposed the ornate nightgown she was wearing. High necked, long sleeved, and the color of sea foam, the garment looked like velour, but felt like silk. There was lace everywhere. She peered inside, and confirmed what she felt, that she was wearing nothing beneath it. She barely remembered putting it on, only that it had appeared in the bathroom while she was showering. She certainly didn't remember making it to the bed.

The bed. As she started to move she realized something was different about the bed. Her body had sunk nearly ten centimeters into the cushiony material of the mattress. She struggled to sit upright, raising herself up on her elbows. She looked around. It wasn't just the bed that was different, she was in an entirely different room.

While her room the prior night had been more than acceptable, this room looked befit for a queen, or at least a princess. The room was easily as large as the CIC on the Normandy with exposed beams along the four and a half meter ceilings. Her nightgown imitated the color of the curtains that framed one wall of the room. The wall of glass looked out over a balcony as large as her previous room, and then to the sea, but from a higher vantage point than before. The bed could easily have held six of her, and it took a moment to make her way to the side. When she arrived there she saw that it was three steps down to the floor. She made her way down, stepping into the deep grey carpet. It felt like walking in clouds. She turned all the way around. In addition to the monster of a bed, the room contained nightstands, a dresser, a chest of drawers, 3 full length mirrors, two easy chairs, a couch, a desk, and what appeared to be a writing table. While the room seemed to cry out for a chandelier, all the lighting appeared to be indirect in nature, like the rest of the rooms that Shepard had observed in the residence.

In addition to the glass wall that opened onto the balcony the room had four other doors. The bathroom was easiest to identify, as that door stood open. The largest door included a larger, more ornate handle than the others. Shepard tentatively identified that door as an exit. She moved to one of the remaining two and opened it. She was rewarded with a closet the size of her cabin on the Normandy. Hanging on the inside of the door was a robe that was obviously meant to go with her nightgown. It was the same color and pattern, and looked like a kimono, only with longer sleeves. She slipped it on. Just inside the door was a pair of soft, slip on shoes that appeared to complete the ensemble. She put those on as well.

The first garments in the closet were her own. Although she had no idea why she had woken up where she had, at least she no longer had to worry that she had fallen asleep in someone else's bedroom. Her dress blues, dress whites, and a set of the fatigues she often used as shipwear were all there, cleaned and pressed. Beyond those however, were Asari clothing. There were dresses, suits, tops, skirts, slacks, all manner of apparel in every color of the rainbow. There were far too many outfits to be for a single person, yet they seemed to all be the same size. Shepard reached for an attractive green dress that was just behind her dress whites. She could find no tag anywhere in the dress, but there were dimensions written on the interior of the zipper seam. They were her dimensions. She looked again at the multitude of outfits that filled the closet. Her blood ran cold as she realized she might be getting her first indication of what being a member of House T'Soni actually meant.

Shepard put the dress back, and exited the closet. She moved to the remaining door, and opened it. There she found the source of the voices she had heard in her sleep. The door revealed a breakfast lounge where Liara and Councilor Tevos were sharing a meal.

The table could seat eight, four to a side. The lounge had the same glass wall to a balcony as had Shepard's bedroom. Liara sat with her back to the glass with Tevos opposite her, at the far end of the table from Shepard's doorway. The opposing wall had another door that probably accessed another bedroom, and the remaining side of the lounge transitioned into what looked like a sitting room, and then Shepard could just make out the beginning of what looked like a library before the curve of the house blocked her line of sight. The room had staff alcoves like the dining room on the first floor, but only one was occupied.

Tevos and Liara had paused what appeared to be a fairly intense conversation as Shepard entered the room. Both rose as she approached the table. Shepard addressed the councilor first. "Councilor Tevos, it is a pleasure to see you again."

Tevos sighed. "Shepard," she began, "we now have some additional layers to our relationship. I am still a councilor, and you are still a spectre. When the galaxy is watching, those are our roles, and you will do well to remember them. When on Thessia however, we also have other roles. For example; here, now, I am a guest in your home. My name is Veleda."

"In that case Veleda." Shepard hesitated, as if trying to match the name to the matriarch in front of her. "I'm Sarah."

Tevos chuckled. "All of Thessia knows that now."

Liara and Tevos sat while Shepard considered a response. Liara intervened before the awkward moment could get even worse. "How did you sleep?"

"Amazingly, especially considering that I don't remember going to that bed. The room was a surprise." She tested her theory. "Why was I moved? My old room was more than adequate, and I know you knew where to find me."

Liara's eyes twinkled. "I'm sure you know the answer. Those were guest quarters. This part of the residence is where the members of the family sleep. That room is your room any time you are in residence, unless of course you'd prefer another. The staff can always move you to something larger."

That was one suspicion confirmed.

When Shepard offered no reply, Liara continued, "Shepard, sit. Your breakfast will be up in a moment. Alaya and Denai were just waiting for you to wake up."

Shepard sat next to Liara. "What time is it? Who is Denai?" Shepard felt like she should remember. "Is Dr. Chakwas still here?"

"It is late morning Shepard, and I hope that we'll be ready to leave for Armali before midday. Dr. Chakwas and Joker have returned to the Normandy. Surprisingly, Chief Williams went to Armali. Denai is the matron who assisted you after dinner last night. She escorted you to your room, and helped you to bed."

And so the mystery of waking in that bed was also explained. "Denai is a member of the house staff?"

"Actually, Denai was an acolyte of Benezia's."

"Does that means she's free now?"

"The acolytes are always free Shepard. The oath of fealty is meaningless if coerced, and it is traditional to release an acolyte from their oath if it is so requested. A few acolytes have given me their oath, more than I expected. Benezia had thousands of acolytes. Most will remain under their prior allegiance to finish their studies of Benezia's writings. Those studies could well take decades for many of them, and when their studies are complete, many will likely leave. It is only my status as head of House T'Soni that allows even a few acolytes to be willing to swear fealty to me. It is very uncommon for an acolyte to follow a maiden."

"Did Denai swear an oath to you then, or is she still following Benezia's teachings?"

Liara shifted in her seat. "Neither, Shepard. She has expressed to Alaya a desire to swear fealty to you."

THAT got Tevos' attention. "This Denai chooses to follow Sarah over you Liara?"

Liara refused to be baited. "Denai is fairly senior here, and had completed her studies under Benezia. Given the reduction in number of acolytes I expect in House T'Soni over the next century or so, there will likely be few opportunities for her to advance in the hierarchy that serves me. By swearing to Shepard, she becomes preeminent in a new hierarchy. This could be to her benefit, especially as I expect Shepard to keep few acolytes, commandos, or staff to service her personal requirements as a member of the House."

"Shepard," Liara continued as she turned back to the commander, "If this makes you uncomfortable, while there is no need for you to accept her oath, I implore that you consider it. Such is common practice among the great houses, and having a sworn acolyte will help validate your position. When we visit some of the T'Soni holdings in Armali today you may see others swear oaths to me if they are to be left in a position of responsibility over T'Soni assets."

"I'll think about it. How many of these people will we need to talk to while we're on Thessia?"

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

Tevos had turned to eating while Shepard and Liara discussed the logistics of their next two days. The ke'ha roll filled with yefal leaves and uloth was excellent, but she found the kaffe a bit strong for her liking. As she signaled her desire for tea to the attendant, she realized that she had not yet been able to ascertain the nature of the power relationship between the two women across from her. She frowned. Such should have been readily apparent to someone with her political acumen. For all of her recent accomplishments, and even accounting for her spectre status, Shepard was still just a mid level officer in the military of a second tier race. Liara on the other hand, was heir to one of the most wealthy and powerful Great Houses of Thessia. Liara's youth was a handicap of course, but the T'Soni name carried weight even when wielded by a maiden. Still, Tevos saw no indication that Shepard was deferential to Liara, as she would have expected. That made little sense to her. Tevos had assumed Liara had chosen Shepard to stand with her as a safety mechanism to ensure that there would be no infighting within the House. It would be difficult for another Asari to submit to Liara's rule if that Asari was elevated to the status of cari'ssi'mi in House T'Soni. An Asari, especially one with any will to power, would likely have attempted to usurp Liara's role as head given Liara's young age. True, Shepard could make that case as well, being as she was in a later stage of life than the maiden. However, Tevos doubted the Conclave would ever find on the side of a Human ascension for anything less than the death of the last T'Soni by blood, and perhaps not even then.

Could it have gone the other way then? Could Shepard somehow have convinced Liara to induct her into the House? If so, that would have been a stunning power play. Shepard now had a great many new resources available to her by becoming a member of House T'Soni. Additionally, she should easily be able to parley her spectre status and ties to Thessia to being a professional board member, or perhaps even an ambassadorship once she retired from military service.

Tevos' thoughts were interrupted by the entrance of Matriarch Alaya. Alaya was followed by a matron that Tevos didn't know, but that Tevos suspected was likely Denai. The matron carried a breakfast tray, the contents of which did not match the fruit and dough based meal that had been served to her and Liara. The matron proceeded to arrange the contents of her tray in front of Shepard while Alaya watched closely. When the tray was empty, the matron bowed to Shepard and backed out of the lounge area.

"An omelette!" exclaimed Shepard. "And bacon, and toast, and coffee!" Shepard reached for the coffee first, greedily slurping the elixir she had grown to depend on during her life in the Alliance.

"Is everything to your satisfaction?" Alaya asked from where she hovered next to the commander.

"It's wonderful," replied Shepard. "How did you know? How did you do... this?" Shepard indicated the plate in front of her by waving the toast she had already claimed from the plate.

"As to how, from the Normandy of course. Denai visited your ship overnight to acquire the ingredients. Your Sergeant Crosby was kind enough to instruct her on preparation of these and other foods for which you have expressed a preference. As compensation, Denai left instruction that the Normandy was to be fully supplied with fresh provisions. Two of the kitchen staff remained to instruct the sergeant on the preparation of several Asari dishes that have proven popular with Human expats. Lady Liara gave me the instructions on which items to focus."

Shepard smiled as she turned to the maiden seated on her left. "Lia-a-a-r-a-a..." her tone communicating both that the gesture was unnecessary, but also appreciated.

Liara blushed slightly, her eyes on the table in front of Shepard. "Denai wanted to know some of your preferences. Once she had enough information to make a rudimentary daily menu, she set off to procure what was required. I barely facilitated."

Shepard and Liara continued to discuss the miracle of breakfast while Alaya excused herself from the room.

Tevos' eyes narrowed as she watched the exchange between the two. She sipped her tea while she evaluated both what was being said, and what was left unsaid. _'Goddess,'_ she thought. _'It's worse than I realized. Worse even than I feared. I was looking for the use of craft and deceit, or at the very least, a need for political expediency. Instead I find infatuation? Affection? Or even the worst possibility of all, love?'_ Anticipating Liara's next series of actions was going to be even more difficult than she had surmised.

Tevos watched the pair with fresh eyes. There was an easy familiarity yes, but the intimacy of lovers was not apparent. Although the two were sitting closely together, there had neither been physical contact nor overt gestures of affection. Shepard also didn't have the signs of someone in a relationship with an Asari, but that could take time to manifest. Tevos breathed in deeply through her nose, which brought an immediate look from Liara. No, Liara wasn't producing the pheromones of a maiden who was melding with a regular partner. So, the relationship was not a romantic one - at least not yet. The look Liara had given her though, told her that the maiden knew exactly what Tevos had been looking for. _'Aha young one,'_ thought Tevos, _'this is something you have given thought to as well.'_

Tevos recognized the dangerous line that Liara was trying to walk. She genuinely hoped to share leadership of House T'Soni, just as she apparently reaped the benefit of being a member of the inner circle in Shepard's personality cult. So long as the two continued to act as one, they had the means to create a significant power base, one with the possibility of a galactic reach. Given how quickly the pair's current bloc had coalesced, Tevos saw that she may quickly be put into a position where she would actively have to side with or against House T'Soni. Taking such a stance could have consequences for her not just on the home soil of Thessia, but throughout the whole of Citadel space.

Actions could still be taken however, and Tevos was not without options. So long as Shepard wished to maintain her spectre status, she was answerable to the council in general, and to her specifically. She would ensure that Shepard realized that her new standing on Thessia would not translate to any kind of preferential treatment by the council. Quite the opposite in fact. She would make certain that all things Shepard would now be met with an additional level of scrutiny. On the other side of the equation, Liara's current value to Shepard and the Alliance was based on their present mission, a mission which would have a finite lifespan. Although now not needing for money, Tevos would see to it that Liara's work received significant academic recognition once this Saren matter was settled. With luck Liara would be drawn away from her ties to the human by the lure of the scholastic acclaim that had eluded her to date.

Shepard and Liara both looked up when Tevos stood. "I hope you'll both excuse me, but I must take my leave. It is not often that I travel to Thessia. I have many duties to attend to before I return to the Citadel."

Liara stood. "Of course Veleda." Liara walked around the table and took the hands of the councilor. "It means a great deal to me that you were here to say goodbye to Benezia."

"Your mother and I were friends and allies over several centuries Liara. Of course I was here for her release, and for your ascension." Tevos paused, and added in a slightly harder tone. "Make certain that House T'Soni gives me no reason to withdraw my support."

Liara matched the councilor's tone. "I hope that does not happen Veleda, but I will do what I must."

Tevos tilted her head to Liara. She wouldn't have respected any other answer. After a nod to Shepard, she turned and left the room.

* * *

A/N: Assumptions here include:  
FemShep/Liara (still pre LI, but we can see it coming and now so can someone else)  
Later ME1 - after Suspicions and Omissions  
After Noveria, before Virmire

Shepard is:  
Colonist / Vanguard / War Hero

Tevos becomes the second person after Dr. Chakwas to verify the growing relationship between Shepard and Liara.

As always, feedback is welcome and desired.

From Cerberus Daily News Wiki:

Kaffe, a non-alcoholic beverage analogous to coffee  
Ke'ah, a style of dough with several varieties, similar to pasta  
Uloth, the asari equivalent of cheese

I had actually expected to finish with Thessia this chapter, but we barely finished breakfast. Armali for the next chapter then. What was supposed to be another one shot continues to expand in scale...


	6. Chapter 6 - Reflections

Liara felt the tension start to leave her body as the cool water ran down her face. It had taken more restraint than she had known she had to not react to Tevos' dressing down over breakfast. Tevos was adamant that Liara was reckless, and that Benezia would never have approved of Liara's choice to Name Shepard. That was one regard in which Liara knew Tevos was wrong. Benezia would have fought for the survival of the T'Soni House with everything she had, and Shepard was the best hope for that. That certainty didn't keep Liara from having doubts. _'It is true that Shepard is the one I trust above all others. Who else would I Name to become a member of my House? Shiala? One of my colleagues from university? Is it wrong that I didn't even consider another choice?'_ No. She'd made the right decision. Just because a position was unpopular didn't mean it was incorrect. If nothing else, the lukewarm reception of her academic work had taught her that painful lesson.

Today's scent was Loria's Cradle, that of one of her favorite flowers. Showers were one of the things she missed the most when away from civilization, and until her time on the Normandy, it never occurred to her that other races didn't scent their showers as well. She breathed deeply, regaining the calm bearing she knew she would have to maintain as she mentally readied herself for what was certain to be an eventful day. Although there were only a few individuals that she felt she had to meet with in person during her visit, she knew that at least one of them should not be expected to go well. No matter. Events will unfold as they should.

She emerged from showering to find Alaya waiting for her in her bedchamber. Alaya had selected a deep red dress with black trim from Liara's closet. The dark colors would highlight the silver T'Soni sigil that Liara would wear as a pendant, designating today's actions as official House business. In traditional Asari style, the full length, high neck, and long sleeves would help add necessary gravity for the meetings she would be having today.

"Councilor Tevos did not depart in a good mood," started Alaya as she helped Liara into the dress.

"That was to be expected Seneschal," replied Liara. "I left her little to be happy about. She was expecting me to be a nonparticipant in Thessian affairs for the time being. Her prediction was that I would wait in the background until becoming a matron, and only then gradually take on an active role as head of House T'Soni."

"That would be a more traditional behavior. Tevos places much stock in propriety."

"As do most matriarchs, yourself included. I do not have time enough to follow tradition."

"Is that why you Named Sarah?"

"No."

"Why then? You had to know it would cost you political capital. Capital you could ill afford to spend given your age." Alaya was currently brushing a light concealer on Liara as she said this. Makeup was a proclivity seldom demonstrated by Asari, as they preferred tattoos and facial paints. In this case making the maiden's freckles less pronounced would assist in downplaying one of her perceived shortcomings. "Tevos alone would be a formidable enemy."

"Tevos will not become an enemy. She is only interested in maintaining her position, and felt the need to remind me of that. So long as House T'Soni is no threat to her, she will leave me alone, no matter how little she understands my motives. To answer your question, I Named Sarah because if the House falls to her, she is the one who I trust above all others to make the necessary decisions." _'Not the whole truth, and Alaya will see that soon enough if she doesn't already,'_ Liara admitted to herself.

Alaya slipped red gloves onto Liara's hands. "Is that all? T'Soni is a line that stretches back nearly 15,000 years. In all that time we've never needed the "wisdom" of an offworlder as head of House. No Great House has. In fact, even with all the non-Asari bondmates of all the T'Sonis, none has ever even been Named cari'ssi'mi. You're not even bonded to her for Goddess' sake. I accept her as family, and I mean no disrespect, but why her? Why now?

Liara's expression let Alaya know she was treading on dangerous ground, but her voice maintained a level of calm equanimity. "If I am right, we may be about to watch my theories on cyclical extinction play out on the galactic stage. My mother was correct in vision, if not in method. We need to take deliberate action, we need to prepare for the gathering storm. When Shepard goes on missions, she rarely takes more than two companions, each specifically selected for the occasion. When she needs a friendly face, she brings Kaiden, another Human. When she needs to intimidate, she brings Wrex, the Krogan. When she needs knowledge, or an inconspicuous fighter, she brings me. I also need something specific. There isn't a word in Attena for what I need, but Chief Williams taught me a phrase that fits. If events become as bad as I fear, Shepard will be House T'Soni's wartime consigliere."

"You expect her to fight a war."

"She will help us prepare for war. Commandos will not be able to fight what may be coming. Shepard is a warrior who knows how to make peace, and we will need allies. If war never comes, then the next few years will be an interesting diversion, and you will have many decades after during which to say 'I told you so'."

Alaya placed the pendant around Liara's neck. "I'm tempted to start saying that now."

"I know this is not what you expected from my return, but I am asking that you trust me." Liara never wanted this, but she also knew there was no better time for her to have ascended to head of House. It would have taken too long to convince Benezia of the Reaper threat. Liara would have had precious little time to persuade any intractable members of her House. They all had to stand together, and T'Soni loyalty and resources were now hers to command.

"Of course I trust you Peeress, you don't need to ask. However, I would be doing you a disservice if I didn't voice my concerns." Alaya paused. It was difficult to not fall into old behaviors. Liara was no longer a child to be kept from rash actions, no longer the wide-eyed innocent Alaya thought she knew. The new direction of the House, and Shepard's role in it, had clearly already been decided. It was time to start supporting the head of the House she served, instead of trying to influence her into another course of action. "Who will you be seeing today?"

"There are three, but only one that matters."

"Matriarch Cylenia."

"Matriarch Cylenia."

"She may prove willing to take some direction from you, but you won't be able to get her to swear allegiance."

Liara displayed no apprehension at the thought. "Then that will be her choice. Unfortunately, being as her firm manages the majority of the T'Soni financial assets, she will find herself in an awkward position if she chooses not to recognize my authority."

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

Liara knocked on Shepard's door. She could hear voices coming from inside, and they sounded agitated. She knocked again, slightly louder this time. "Shepard?"

"Liara!"

That was all the invitation she needed. Liara charged through the door, biotics already starting to form a nimbus around her. What she encountered however, made her stop short. Her biotics flared as they dissipated, and she quickly covered her mouth with her hand. Regrettably, the smile her hand was hiding was equally visible in her eyes.

Shepard was backed into a corner. The commander was wearing a towel and an annoyed expression. She was holding up her dress blues as a barrier against Denai, who was holding a green and white dress of the same style that Liara currently wore. Shepard couldn't have been long from the shower, as her hair was still pressed wetly against her head. Liara always found it captivating when the spectre's hair was unkempt, and it often took an act of will to prevent herself from reaching out to touch or adjust it.

"Liara!" "Ma'am." Both Shepard and Denai turned to Liara for assistance with the other.

Denai held back. "Liara," Shepard started again, "would you please tell her that I can dress myself, and that when I do, it will be in my uniform?"

"Denai," Liara sighed, "Would you give me a moment alone with the commander?"

"Yes Ma'am." Denai hung the dress on a hook on the back of the bathroom door, before exiting to the hall and closing the door behind her.

"Thanks Liara." Shepard strode across to the closet, apparently in search of undergarments.

"Shepard."

Shepard stopped mid stride. "Not you too." She turned to face the maiden. "Not that you don't look well, fantastic in that, but I'm more of a uniform kind of gal." She gestured towards the hanging dress. "Are you going to tell me that's the way it has to be?"

"It does not 'have' to be anything Shepard. Today will be a day of House T'Soni business, probably the only one that we will be able to perform in person for some time. We are of course not going to attempt to pass you for an Asari, but it will not hurt our cause if you are visibly seen making an effort to respect our culture, as I know you do. The less you act as what many have decided you are, the more control we will have of public opinion. When you meet bias and intolerance with decorum, you remove a valuable weapon from any who would work against us. That being said, if you prefer to wear your uniform, I won't ask you not to."

_'Which is exactly as if you had.'_ Shepard wondered how her current situation had so quickly taken on a life of its own. _'That's right,'_ she thought, _'I can't say no to her.'_ "Is now when you're going to talk to me about Denai as well?"

"Would you like me to Shepard?"

"It's very difficult to be angry with you when you insist on being reasonable."

"Then perhaps I should remain reasonable."

"Would you like for me to allow Denai to assist me?"

"Shepard," Liara paused. This was the existence she grew up in. She didn't agree with much of it, but she understood it, and she was comfortable functioning in it. She had grown so used to taking her cues from Shepard that she had to remind herself that they were currently operating well outside of Shepard's comfort zone. She was again grateful at what Shepard had been willing to endure for her. She wasn't sure if she would have been self confident enough to do the same if their roles were reversed. She had to find a way to make this relevant to Shepard's experience. "When in combat, would you ever hesitate to ask Garrus to provide covering fire?"

"Of course not."

"And if he saw that you needed support, would you be upset if he acted on his own initiative to engage an enemy?"

Shepard could already see where this was going. "No."

"How do you think he would feel if in fact you were upset with him for doing so? If you were angry with him for doing what he sees as his job; to protect you, to support you?"

"I'm tempted to say he'd shoot me himself," Shepard replied with a half grin. Then she resumed. "He'd be frustrated. He wouldn't know what he should be doing."

"That is likely how Denai feels. You are now a family member of a Great House of Thessia. You are the epitome of self sufficiency Shepard. The staff is not assisting because of a belief that you are incapable. They do so because they see it as their role to aid the family in any way that they can. In return for such work; we serve, we provide guidance, we protect. When you do not allow them to help, it works against established etiquette and creates uncertainty. If I no longer allowed Alaya to assist me as part of her duties, then she would likely wonder what she could expect from me in the future."

"I understand what you're saying Liara, but I'm not comfortable with having a servant."

"Denai wishes to serve but she is no servant. She is a matron of nearly 600 years. She was born during your Earth's Renaissance, and has used most of that time in the pursuit of skills and knowledge. She has been a commando. She has been a starship pilot. She has completed her studies of Matriarch Benezia's teachings, but wishes to remain with House T'Soni. As you are a member of the family, assisting you assists the House. She has expertise that you will need."

"That's the point. If an acolyte follows someone so they can exchange service for wisdom, what can she possibly expect to learn from me? How much wisdom can a 29 year old Human have?"

_'Apparently more than you are willing to admit, at least at the moment,'_ thought Liara. "Have you asked her?"

"What?"

"Benezia had thousands of acolytes. You are obviously nervous about having a single one. I suspect that is because you are uncomfortable with the obligation the oath of fealty places upon you. Have you asked Denai why she would be willing to follow you?"

"No."

"It seems to be a question worth asking, would you agree?"

"I suppose."

Liara seized the moment before Shepard's acquiescence could degenerate into petulance. She moved to the door and invited the matron back into the room. She gave Shepard an expectant look. The next steps had to be the commander's.

"Denai."

"Yes Ma'am?"

"Alaya has told us, told me, that you wish to stay with House T'Soni. That you have an interest in becoming my acolyte."

Denai turned a shocked look to Liara. The maiden gestured that Denai should return her attention to Shepard.

"I had appealed to Alaya to be allowed to make that request, yes. I did not anticipate that she would relay my entreaty."

"Why would you choose to follow me? What could you possibly expect to learn from a Human one twentieth your age?"

"If I may be so bold Ma'am, it is not the young Human I wish to follow. I am amazed by the person who convinced Tevos to nominate her to be a spectre when many Asari have been waiting decades for the honor. I am fascinated by someone who could build a team from nearly every major race, and have them focused on a goal so unlikely that it seems unbelievable. I see someone who holds the devotion of Liara who is the head of this House and the loyalty of Shiala, someone I greatly respect. I myself observed the honor you granted Benezia at a time when Liara was unable, and no other offered it. Those are only the items I know to be fact. There are rumors of other events that seem even less probable, but which I suspect have at least some truth to them. It is to this person to whom I would offer my allegiance, that I may have the privilege of participating in the future of House T'Soni."

Shepard was embarrassed, as she often was when complimented, but she continued on. "I still don't see why you need to swear an oath to me. I don't see Liara kicking anybody out. You could probably stay here as long as you wanted, and she'd never say a word. In fact, why not just follow her? At least a few of the other acolytes have."

"Liara doesn't need me Ma'am. You do."

Shepard turned to Liara with a questioning look. Liara tilted her head in a manner that said "still your move."

Shepard paused. There had to be a limit to how many battles she could lose in one day. "Denai, if I agree to this, what does that mean? What would you do?"

"Whatever you need me to, Ma'am."

"That's what I'm asking. You say I need you. What needs to I have that you would fill?"

"As you have no other acolytes, and the residence is already attended by Liara's staff, my primary role would be as personal aide. I could assist you with matters of Asari culture, manage your meetings, and act as your agent when you are off planet. Additionally I would assist Alaya in allocating any necessary T'Soni resources to you when appropriate, such as funds, transportation, commandos, and the like."

"I'm pretty happy with Liara in terms of learning about Asari culture. I also don't think I'll have any need for commandos."

"An honor guard is customary when members of a Great House are in public. You would of course be free to define my role as you see fit."

Shepard closed her eyes. It was obvious to her how this was going to end, so what was the problem? She searched her thoughts and feelings for the reason of her aversion to accepting Denai as an acolyte. The matron appeared capable, and certainly had never been anything but helpful. The fact that Liara was acting as her advocate had no small impact as well. Shepard had to admit that it was her own distaste for being indebted to others, along with a healthy dose of humanity's antagonism towards subjugation that was at the root of her trepidation about the idea.

Shepard felt embarrassed. Liara and Denai were asking her to accept part of their culture, and she was rejecting them, dismissing one of the norms of their society. She was on Thessia, and her own Human bigotry was creating an issue where none was appropriate. Liara and Denai couldn't understand Shepard's hesitance, and Shepard had to admit, it was because her behavior made no sense. She would never fail to observe a Turian custom for Garrus, or perform a Krogan ritual for Wrex. Liara knew this, so of course Shepard's current conduct must concern her.

Having rooted out the source of her aversion, Shepard was resolute to move forward. Both Asari could see the change in her demeanor. "Denai, is there a ceremony of some kind?"

Liara answered for her. "All you need is a witness Shepard." Denai glanced again at Liara, who responded with a nod indicating that she should proceed.

Denai stepped forward, paused, then dropped to one knee in front of Shepard. She did not bow, but rather maintained eye contact with the spectre as she began to recite:

"I swear by the Goddess Athame fealty and service to Sarah Jane Shepard T'Soni, and to her House;  
To speak and to be silent,  
To do and to let be,  
To come and to go,  
To serve and teach,  
In such matters that concern House T'Soni.  
I will observe my homage to her completely, against all persons, in good faith and without deceit."

Shepard looked to her omni-tool, where Liara had already sent the appropriate response. She placed her right hand on Denai's shoulder. "It is right that those who offer us fidelity should be protected by our aid. Since Denai, a faithful one of ours, has seen fit to swear trust and fealty to us by the Goddess, we decree and command by the witnesses present that now and for the future, Denai be counted among the number of House T'Soni. Denai, I accept your oath."

Denai stood. There was no hiding the happiness in her eyes. "Thank you Peeress. It is my privilege to serve."

Liara prompted, "Perhaps we can start with helping get Shepard ready to leave?"

Shepard's hand flew to her head. "Great, my hair dried like this." She turned and dashed to the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

Denai turned to Liara. "I am indebted to you Peeress. I suspect that Sarah would never have consented to accepting my oath without your intervention."

"I would not be so sure. Shepard coming to the appropriate decision can be counted upon. It is in her nature. All of this is just very new to her."

The matron considered the bathroom door. "I have a question then. How does one assist with hair?"

Liara smirked while she tried to craft an appropriate response. After a moment she decided that an inappropriate one might do just as well. "I do not know... yet."

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

The skycar was finally headed for Armali. It seemed to Shepard like the day had already been a full one, and yet they still managed to leave the estate before noontime. She reflected that was another benefit of a nearly 28 hour day. Despite everything that had happened this morning, Liara seemed pleased with the time of their departure."We'll be able to keep our appointments, have dinner in the city, and still be able to get home at a decent hour," she had said.

Another offhand reference to home today.

"Here, now, I am a guest in your home."

Tevos' words from breakfast continued to reverberate in Shepard's head. "Your home," she had said. Shepard hadn't considered anywhere "home" since she was 16. Mindoir was as dead to her as her family. She had only been to Earth for her N7 training. She had lived almost all of her adult life on ships and Arcturus Station. She even preferred to take leave on the Citadel instead of on a planet (although Elysium may have something to do with that). She thought of her cabin on the Normandy as her "place", but there was nowhere else she returned to or that she yearned for between missions. She had never contemplated the idea that she would consider a planet to be her home, and if she had, Thessia would not have been anywhere on her list. Curiously, the outstanding business she had with Denai was the only thing that had kept her from being completely at ease with the idea. With that behind them, she had to admit, she was reasonably happy with the concept. She found this level of comfort surprising, as only a week before the very idea of having a place to call home at all would have been alien to her.

Alien. That was funny. She hadn't seen a Human since the day before. She turned to look at the other passenger in the skycar. Cerulean eyes looked up from a datapad and met her own with a questioning look. Shepard gave a half smile and shook her head. The eyes returned to the pad. Alien. She reflected that there was a time when she would have considered her companion on this journey to be an alien. She was hairless, with textured, sapphire colored skin slightly cooler than her own. She had markings instead of eyebrows, and scalp crests that kept the N7 hoodie she'd borrowed after the battle on Feros from fitting quite right. As a child, Shepard might not have been frightened of her, but would certainly have found her to be exotic. Now though, she was just Liara, and there wasn't anything alien about her at all. In fact, Liara was what made Thessia feel like home.

* * *

A/N: Assumptions here include:  
FemShep/Liara (still pre LI, but we can all see it coming)  
Later ME1 - after Suspicions and Omissions  
After Noveria, before Virmire

Shepard is:  
Colonist / Vanguard / War Hero

Shepard gains an acolyte! That might be useful later. Liara sees a positive in ascending to head of House. Denai learns what a hairbrush is.

As always, feedback is welcome and desired.

From Cerberus Daily News Wiki:

Loria's Cradle - also known as the Moonlight Lily

So, not only did we not finish with Thessia, we didn't even make it to Armali. Denai's oath took a little more to lead up to than expected. We will make it with chapter 7 (after all, we're in the car). We also get a little Normandy POV with chapter 7. We won't be finished with Thessia in chapter 7, but possibly by chapter 8 or 9 depending on how Liara's meetings go. That should finish this story and let us start the next.


	7. Chapter 7 - Adjustments

With a start, Shepard realized she had been lost in thought for some minutes while staring at Liara. She forced herself to tear her eyes away, and instead directed her attention to her omni-tool. She had quite a few items waiting for her attention and she decided to use some of the travel time to her advantage.

The first, and most surprising item was a report from Lt. Pressly. Apparently the Turian ambassador to Thessia had requested a tour of the Normandy - and Pressly had granted it! Shepard was both proud and amazed at the same time. She certainly understood some of Pressly's attitude towards non-humans. He had been a non-com during the first contact war, and had only been commissioned after his involvement in the Skyllian Blitz. To be able to overcome the impact made by both experiences, and to act as a gracious host to the Turian ambassador was more than she ever would have expected of her XO. Working closely with their band of irregulars had definitely had a positive impact on the officer, and she let him know that in her reply.

Second was a fleet wide inspection order from the Alliance for all units operating the M35 Mako. Apparently there was a potential for steering over response issues when operating the vehicle on rough terrain. She had never noticed any problems. In fact, in her opinion, the mako didn't steer responsively enough. She sent a quick note to Garrus asking him to perform the necessary inspection with an eye for any "calibrations" that he might like to perform.

Captain Anderson requested a mission report on Noveria, as well as a status update on the Normandy. The message was phrased in the lightest tone she'd ever heard from the man. Obviously he was aware of current events, and this was his way of asking if she was all right. She filed the request with the intent of following up on it when they returned to the ship.

There were several procurement requests from various departments requiring her approval. Those were all easily taken care of.

Several of the crew had copied her on consolation messages to Liara. She made a note to relay the condolences the next time they were alone.

Then there were messages from the squad. Kaiden had performed a surprise inspection on the marines, which had gone well. He also informed her that two of his marines had been part of this quarter's supplemental promotion process. Shepard quickly sent out congratulatory notes to the marines in question. Ashley had made a second trip to Armali, this time to extradite Joker from what she called a "local issue". Shepard hoped he hadn't offended too many Asari. Tali also had enjoyed her time in Armali, but not to the level where someone had had to be called to make bail. Garrus had been caught up in the Turian ambassador's visit, and was unhappy with having been tasked with escorting the ambassador during her entire tour of the ship. Wrex found the Asari foods that Sergeant Crosby was serving to be superior to the human rations they had been eating and wanted to know if that would now be standard fare given her "change in status". Shepard rolled her eyes at that one.

Shepard let her eyes scroll through several news updates in which she was mentioned, and then scanned though more than few requests for interviews. Some were from local news agencies, but many were from the Thessian offices of galactic news bureaus. She paused and reconsidered instead of deleting them all. It might make sense to ask Liara if giving an interview or two might do some good given their current situation.

That was enough. She had cleared the backlog to a reasonable level. Liara was still reviewing whatever was on her datapad, so Shepard turned to study the view out the skycar window. The ocean was long behind them, and there were hills and forest as far as she could see. It reminded her of Elysium, which was not necessarily a good thing. At least they weren't flying over terrain like the rolling farmland of Mindoir or the jungles of Rio de Janeiro. She saw no vehicles other than the skycar that carried Denai and Liara's honor guard.

Finally, she could see the city in the distance. She turned to Liara. "Where are we going first?"

"We are heading to the Mosoth Tower. That is the location of the offices of Dedris Partners."

"Which is where we'll find Matriarch Cylenia."

"Correct. She is a senior partner at the firm, and has been in charge of the team that manages T'Soni finances for just over two centuries."

"That's quite a while. She must be doing well."

Liara thought for a moment. "She has done acceptably Shepard, yes. However, all Benezia ever asked of her was to maintain a low level of risk, and a reasonable return. The principal in question is so large that Benezia could fund her operations from interest alone even given an exceedingly low yield."

Shepard considered that. She knew now that Benezia's (Liara's!) net worth was extreme, but still didn't know what that meant in terms of credits, and didn't want to be crass enough to ask. She may be family now, but she wasn't in this for money. The only concern she had was who might try to take advantage of Liara to get to some of that wealth.

"And you're no longer satisfied with a low return on your investments."

"Shepard, the markets on Thessia are much less volatile than those of the planets in Alliance space. Asari tend to invest conservatively and for the long term. We then let our lifespans be the means by which we accrue wealth. We will not have time to use that investment strategy given how soon the Reapers may arrive. I am willing to accept much higher levels of risk than Benezia would ever have allowed for the potential of a greater return ."

"And we have to go in person for that? I would think this could be handled by a call."

"Cylenia has sworn no oaths to me or to House T'Soni."

"And that's a problem?"

"Alaya believes so, and she is in a better position to know than I am."

"But you have a plan."

"Several, actually. However, I expect that there are only two from which I will have to choose."

Shepard waited for Liara to expound, but she never did. The maiden's talent for keeping secrets was almost as strong as her talent for unearthing them. They were flying over city now, so she changed direction. "Where is the tower, Liara?"

"Near the center of the city. They have reserved parking for us at the top."

"Do we have to park on the tower? I was hoping to at least SEE Armali while we were here."

Liara made eye contact with Shiala through the security screen, and nodded her head. Shiala called Denai and both cars started descending into the city.

"Where are you having them take us?"

"The tower is near the center of Armali, on the edge of Tiusra Square. If we park on the opposite side of the square we will be outdoors for nearly a kilometer as we cut a chord across it. You will be able to see quite a bit of the financial district from there."

The cars settled in a parking lot at the edge of what Shepard assumed was Tiusra Square. The square was enormous. It was mostly grass, with fountains, paved walkways and benches. There were a number of Asari walking through it. There were not enough people to make the square look crowded, but they were sufficient in number to prevent any part of the square from appearing vacant.

Denai and four commandos exited the other car before Shiala released the locks on theirs. Two commandos moved to intercept the approaching lot attendant.

The attendant stopped trying to avoid the commandos when she saw Liara and Shepard exit their car. Instead she activated her omni tool and started taking images. Shepard watched as Liara sighed and motioned to Shiala to pay the attendant.

Shepard turned to look at the Mosoth Tower. It was easily 500 meters tall, but the sweeping design didn't dominate the Armali skyline. It blended perfectly, like most Asari architecture. A very esthetically focused race, the Asari. As Shepard's eyes swept the skyline, Liara and the rest of their entourage walked up behind her. "Are you ready?" Liara asked from Shepard's left.

"I am."

"Then we should get started. This was a good idea. It is a beautiful day."

The pair started walking in the general direction of the tower. Shepard noticed how Liara positioned her people with a pair of discreet hand motions. Hand motions Liara had learned from being a member of her squad. She glanced at Liara's face and saw a small "Yes I knew you would notice" smile. Shepard looked at their group. All four commandos were maintaining their distance. One commando was walking ahead of them, one on either side, and the last was following Denai and Shiala who were perhaps half a dozen paces behind Shepard and Liara. Shepard looked at the commandos in more detail, regretting that there had not been a proper introduction before their departure. All four commandos wore charcoal colored armor. Three of them had green rings on their armor at the throat, the same shade of green as Liara's seemingly never-ending supply of science jumpsuits. The fourth commando, the one on Shepard's right, had a red and white stripe down her right arm.

Shepard sighed and leaned slightly to Liara. "That really wasn't necessary."

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

"How are you feeling? Pride wounded?"

Joker didn't turn around. "Ha ha ha. I was fine. They would have let me go you know. I'm a sympathy case. No Asari would lock up a guy in a wheelchair who was only in town for a funeral."

Ashley recognized the self pity, but didn't let Joker get away with wallowing in it. "Then why did you call? Those officers looked pretty serious to me."

"Maybe I like the attention?"

"From them or from me?"

"Uh, hey! Look - the commander is on the news again!"

One of the monitors in the cockpit was showing a vid of Shepard and Liara in Armali. They seemed to be walking through a park. Joker moved the broadcast to the largest screen, and activated audio.

"...the commander can be seen here walking with Dr. T'Soni in Armali's Tiusra Square. Shiala Adolin has invoked Privacy on behalf of both Commander Shepard and Dr. T'Soni. Shiala, seen here, is a commando formerly of the T'Soni House, and a known associate of Commander Shepard. Commander Shepard has made no official statement since arriving on Thessia, so we don't know what her business is in Armali today. However, since both she and Dr. T'Soni are each wearing the T'Soni sigil, they are likely here on official House T'Soni business..." Joker turned the sound down a bit.

Ashley looked at her commander on the vid. It certainly wasn't an image that she would ever have pictured of her. Shepard was always a tomboy like Ashley herself, so an Asari cut dress was not a typical look. Ashley had to admit though, the look was striking. Green was definitely a good color for her even if Ashley didn't approve of the message the dress was sending. The local news agencies also seemed to find the commander's attire worthy of note. The cameras all seemed to be focused on Shepard, with almost no mention of the others in the party, other than how they related to the spectre.

"Privacy is a pretty important thing for the Asari, isn't it?" Joker finally turned to Ashley.

"It must be. They'd be swarmed by reporters if they were on an Alliance world, or even on the Citadel."

"Do you know what they're in Armali for?"

"No, she replied to a message from me this morning," Ashley left the contents of the message unspoken. "But she didn't say anything about going into the city."

They continued to watch the vid while Shepard and the company of Asari continued to walk across the park. The camera angles changed from time to time, and it was apparent that none of the cameras were close to the group. No reporters attempted to meet with Shepard, but the commentary never stopped, as unchanging as it was.

Ashley wasn't comfortable with some of the changes she'd observed in the commander over the last few months, and this new development was another. She'd tried to discuss her concerns with Dr. Chakwas, and had been shocked when Karin had almost bitten her head off. She knew the doctor approved of Liara, but the vehemence of the doctor's response had surprised her. After the doctor shut her down she couldn't imagine anyone else she could discuss her thoughts with. Tali and Garrus approved of all things Shepard. Wrex wouldn't see the problem, and Kaiden had carried a torch for the commander ever since she'd casually mentioned that he reminded her of a boy she'd liked as a teen on Mindoir.

Ashley was conflicted. What did Shepard think she was doing? The Asari were "allies" in that they were a Council race, so keeping them happy wasn't a bad idea. However, did that justify this amount of time off mission? She could perhaps understand bringing Benezia's body home to Thessia, for Liara's sake if for no other reason. Ashley didn't actually dislike the kid. She had become a dependable squadmate even though she had turned out to be just a poor little rich girl. She also liked the effect the maiden had on the Commander without liking the cause of it. It was funny to watch the two tiptoe around each other on the Normandy, even though she considered whatever they had going on to be inappropriate fraternization. Still, when the CO wasn't happy, nobody was happy.

All in all, she thought this would have been best handed by only having the Normandy stay long enough to drop off Benezia and Liara. There had been no need to remain for the funeral. Liara could have rejoined the Normandy later... or not. Even before the funeral Ashley had thought that Shepard and Liara had grown too close, and were in danger of getting closer. The events during the funeral had only reinforced that. Shepard was a member of Liara's family now? What did that even mean? And that display of dedication in the rain had been playing on the news ever since yesterday. Shepard and Liara had each been staking some very public claims on the other, and Ashley didn't like it. This wouldn't end well, and she was positive it would have a negative impact on the unit. Liara obviously had the commander wrapped around her finger, and that was something Ashley intended to address once this mission chasing Saren was over.

"How does she do it?"

For a moment Ashley had forgotten Joker was even there.

"What?"

"How lucky can one person be? It's amazing. She becomes the first Human spectre, then is granted command of the most advanced Alliance ship, and now she's a celebrity. I'd be jealous if she wasn't so successful at every one of them."

Ashley snorted. People make their own luck. "She's lucky alright, but she's good too. She was the first recipient of the Star of Terra to not get it posthumously, and the mission she was on? Shore leave. You can't argue with results like that. She might as well have "hero" stenciled on her armor."

"The Asari don't seem quite as unified in their love of her."

"But they are. She's been on the news non stop since we arrived, and she hasn't even done anything spectacular. She's all they're talking about. The matriarchs may not like her much, but that isn't surprising. She's very non traditional, and they're all about tradition. The rank and file? They think she's a great as you do."

"She's not all I think is great."

"What's that?"

"Nothing."

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

There wasn't much heroic seeming about Shepard at the moment. She felt like a kid taking her first trip off world. Her face was practically pressed against the glass as the elevator inched up the curved side of the tower. Dedris Partners' offices were near the top (of course) and Shepard admired the view of Armali even as she pondered the fact that she had never encountered a fast elevator in Citadel Space. Maybe nonhumans didn't have the tolerance for fast elevators? That couldn't be it. Eezo was so prevalent on Thessia that they could put mass effect generators in every elevator if they wanted to. Probably they just weren't in a hurry. Most Citadel races commented that Humans were always rushed. Perhaps this was one of the ways they meant.

Shepard stepped back from the glass and turned to look back at her companions. Shiala and Denai were standing by the door engaged in a quiet conversation. Liara was standing impassively, like a statue. Her gaze was fixed on the horizon, and she had just the touch of a smile on her lips. She looked magnificent, almost regal. Every time Shepard looked at Liara lately it was like she was seeing a new side of the maiden. Granted, she was in her element, but Shepard liked the confidence she saw, with barely a hint of the shy archaeologist peeking through. Shepard wondered how much of it would remain when they were back on the Normandy, or in battle, or on the Citadel. The Citadel. Shepard knew Liara didn't like the crowds on the Citadel, but there was a great restaurant she thought Liara might like... Shepard shook her head. Was she thinking of a... _date_? Where were these thoughts coming from? They were close, but not in that manner. Besides, they had absolutely nothing in common! Shepard was getting a taste of the circles that Liara was going to be moving in for the next 900 years, and she was sure there was no room for an unrefined Alliance vanguard in them. Sarah was taken aback by how much that thought saddened her.

The elevator doors finally parted, distracting Shepard from her awkward chain of thought. She had been impressed when they reached the tower. The lobby had radiated a quiet elegance. The lounge where they had separated from the commandos was nicer than most places she'd visited on the Citadel. Even the elevator had the feel of substance without opulence. This floor however, radiated abundance.

Dedris Partners had the entire floor, and the elevator foyer was entirely marble and gold. The elevator was nestled in a wall of glass the looked out over Armali while a receptionist was positioned in front of a row of four doors in such a way that visitors were directed to her to gain access to the offices beyond.

Denai and Shiala hung back while Liara and Shepard walked to the reception desk. The receptionist looked up as they approached. Shepard was still learning to gauge Asari ages, but the very attractive young lady looked younger than Liara and radiated the energy of a teenager.

"Welcome to Dedris Partners! My name is Alesi. How may I be of assistance?

"Dr. T'Soni and Commander Shepard to see Matriarch Cylenia." Liara kept her back straight, and spoke to the space over Alesi's head.

Alesi's countenance lost some of its exuberance, but her tone was unchanged. "Do you have an appointment? The matriarch is exceedingly busy."

"I do not."

"I'm sorry. I don't think the matriarch will be able to see you today. Would you like to make an appointment? She has availability on the nineteenth."

"I will not be on planet on the nineteenth. Just announce us please. We will await the matriarch's convenience."

With that, Liara turned and walked to one of the overstuffed white couches that lined one wall. Shepard followed, not quite sure what their next steps were going to be.

Liara settled into the couch. She pulled out a data pad and inserted an OSD. She then began making notes without looking up.

Shepard paused for a moment, then sat down next to the Asari.

Alesi called out to them both. "Can I get either of you anything?"

Liara looked at Shepard who shook her head. "No, thank you," she replied to the receptionist.

Shepard let this go on for a few minutes. Denai and Shiala had appropriated a couch further down the foyer from her and Liara. Liara continued to work, but had said nothing after declining refreshment. Eventually Shepard couldn't take it any longer. She turned to Liara.

"How long are we going to wait?"

"For as long as it takes, Shepard."

"I hate to break it to you, but I don't think the matriarch is going let us see her, no matter how long we sit here."

Liara turned to her as she lowered her voice. "We are not waiting to see her Shepard, we are waiting to take offense."

Shepard grinned. "How long is that going to be?"

Liara sighed. "I am handicapped by my age. It will be some time before I can legitimately claim offense. Did you have anything you can do to pass the time? Perhaps paperwork you can catch up on?"

Shepard rolled her eyes. "I'm the commander of an Alliance warship. I always have paperwork I could be catching up on." She turned on her omni-tool and settled in.

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

Liara maintained her indifferent, almost apathetic composure. Shepard had worked while sitting next to her for some time, but the Human had finally turned off her omni-tool in favor of admiring the view of Armali. Eventually even that could no longer hold Shepard's attention, and she started to fidget. Liara found it endearing. Forced idleness was something the commander never handled easily. She had a bias to action that served her well, but also caused her to become bored quickly. It took effort not to reach over to stoke the spectre's arm to calm her down.

It had been two hours. She felt Shepard's eyes on her as she deliberately removed her current OSD, and put away her datapad. She stood up in a fluid motion while Shepard almost leapt to her feet at her side. She indicated to Shiala and Denai with a glance that they should remain seated and she started moving at a calculated pace towards the reception desk.

As she approached Alesi looked up "I'm sorry Doctor, the matriarch still isn't avail..." The young receptionist's voice trailed off as Liara sidestepped the desk and walked to the last door. She opened the door and walked through it without breaking stride. Shepard followed, right on her heels. "Wait! Stop! You can't go in the..." Alesi's voice was lost as the door closed.

Liara continued walking as Shepard stepped up beside her.

"Are we going after the matriarch now?"

"No. The matriarch had to be given a chance to meet with us for courtesy's sake. We are on our way to whom we came to see."

They were now walking through an open work area. Murmurs started becoming noticeable from the staff. "Commander Shepard", "Spectre", "Human", were among some of the words that stood out in Liara's hearing.

Shepard tired of waiting for her to clarify her statement and asked "Who then?"

Liara led them around a corner and came up behind a matron with a massive number of open screens above her workspace. "Jedis! Jedis Panya!"

The matron nearly fell from her chair as she turned around. "Liara!" She beamed, then stopped. The matron stood and bowed her head. "I apologize Ma'am, I meant 'Doctor T'Soni'."

Liara took the matron's hands. "Jedis, I hope I will always be 'Liara' to you. I would like to introduce you to Commander Shepard." The women exchanged nods, as Jedis seemed too tongue tied to speak.

"Shepard, Jedis was my financial tutor when I was younger. When I went to university Benezia arranged for her to have a position at Dedris Partners as part of the team that manages the financial portfolio of House T'Soni."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Jedis."

Jedis found her voice, "You as well Commander." The matron turned and lowered her voice. "Liara, what are you doing here? You can't be talking to me if you have questions about T'Soni accounts, you need to be talking to the matriarch."

"Cylenia has had her opportunity Jedis, in more ways than one." Liara paused, "You have been here for some time now Jedis. Do you still believe Dedris Partners does an inadequate job of managing T'Soni finances?"

Jedis became visibly uncomfortable. "Dr. T'Soni, Liara, I can't speak out against the partners, I could lose my job."

"This is very important Jedis. When we used to chart earnings together you always had ways to improve earnings far beyond additional incurred risk. Some of why Benezia assisted you in getting this position was due to how well your forecasts would chart. I am surprised you are not yet a partner yourself."

"My positions are not popular, Doctor. Perhaps when I become a matriarch..."

Liara drew a deep breath. "I do not think so."

Jedis was visibly crestfallen.

Liara continued. "What I mean is, perhaps today. What would you do if I gave you complete control in managing all aspects of the investments held by House T'Soni?"

Jedis was visibly floored. "Doctor, Liara, it's too much! I could never manage such a large, complex portfolio. I would need staff, offices..." the matron trailed off.

Liara waited to see if Jedis would start up again. When she did not Liara met Jedis' eyes. "That is not a problem. House T'Soni would be pleased to supply you with seed money, as well as assist in locating office space and staff. We would have some conditions."

"And those are?"

"You would be founding, senior, and only partner in your new firm for no less than 100 years. House T'Soni will be your firm's only client for no less than 200 years. You personally would have to swear fealty and remain bound by oath for no less than 250 years. If at any point those conditions become unacceptable, there will be no reprisal, but I will take House T'Soni's business elsewhere."

Jedis watched Liara for indication that more was coming. "You're, you're serious aren't you?"

"I am. The position of House T'Soni has changed on a number of matters, not the least of which is the expected rate of return on our capital. I mean to put you under no undue pressure, but I leave Thessia tomorrow, so I cannot wait for you to make a decision. If you do not accept my terms then we part as friends, but I will need to move quickly to my second choice."

"Are you kidding? This is the chance of a lifetime! Of several lifetimes! It's obvious you're taking your business away from Dedris Partners no matter what I choose. If I stay here my role will be eliminated." Jedis' tone became more formal "I accept your terms Peeress."

Liara turned. "Shepard, will you witness?"

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

Liara had just finished accepting Jedis' oath when Matriarch Cylenia approached. Jedis had tears in her eyes, and she embraced Liara as she stood. As the matriarch strode up to the trio she was displeased to observe Jedis taking a position facing her alongside the T'Soni child and Commander Shepard. This maiden was quickly becoming more trouble than she was worth.

"Miss T'Soni."

Liara did not respond. Shepard cleared her throat before correcting "_Doctor_ T'Soni."

"Yes yes, of course. Doctor. I apologize for the delay. I just heard that you were here. Is there something you needed? I'm surprised you didn't call. We're usually a bit more formal for clients of your size."

Liara maintained a tone of detached indifference. "You have no other clients my size Cylenia," Liara deliberately dropped the honorific. "I came to discuss my plans for changing the investment strategy of House T'Soni."

The matriarch tried not to let her umbrage show in her demeanor. "That would be no small affair Miss... Doctor T'Soni. Any major adjustments in a portfolio of your size can impact entire markets, which would have repercussions for many of our other clients."

"Meaning that by informing your other clients in advance they will be able to move into markets before us. This will allow them to benefit from the increases in market capitalization caused by the House T'Soni investment, thereby increasing your fees."

"There is no reason for you to take such a negative perspective Doctor. Portfolio management at this level is quite complex, and best left to experts."

Liara offered the matriarch a small smile. "You and I are in complete agreement Cylenia. I apologize for putting you in this position."

"No trouble at all Doctor, we're here to help."

There was a momentary pause, and it seemed like the conversation was at an end. Cylenia relaxed, one more crisis averted, but then Liara continued. "No, no, I feel I need to do more. It is unfair to you to place your organization in a position where meeting my needs might place you in a conflict of interest with your other clients. That is why, effective immediately, House T'Soni is transferring all of our accounts to Jedis Panya's firm. Please work with her to facilitate a smooth transition. If the changeover takes longer than 30 days, you will be hearing from House T'Soni counsel."

With that, Liara spun on her heel and walked away. Shepard by her side, their movements coordinated as if choreographed.

Matriarch Cylenia was left with Jedis Panya, who had a sheepish look on her face.

* * *

A/N: Assumptions here include:  
FemShep/Liara (still pre LI, but we can all see it coming)  
Later ME1 - after Suspicions and Omissions  
After Noveria, before Virmire

Shepard is:  
Colonist / Vanguard / War Hero

Great news! We finally made to to Armali. You didn't think we'd actually leave during the same chapter, did you? I promise we'll leave Armali in chapter 9. Maybe. Will we leave Thessia? Possibly. I don't think I have enough story left to make it to a chapter 10, but I might.

As always, feedback is welcome and desired.


	8. Chapter 8 - Explanation

Liara walked through the Dedris Partners offices at a much more sedate pace than she had on her way in. Eyes and whispers followed the pair as they returned the way they had come.

Shepard was practically beside herself with enthusiasm as she walked with Liara.

"That was impressive. I presume Jedis was your 'plan A' all along?"

"She was Shepard."

"Which means everything went...?"

"As anticipated."

"You never expected that Matriarch Cylenia would follow your direction."

"I was willing to give her the opportunity, but I believe that events have played out to our benefit."

"Cylenia may have been willing to listen had she known what she had to lose."

"She would have perceived such a threat to be merely a bluff. Even if she did not, there are other partners that would have needed to be convinced. It was easier to simply have the managing partner be placed in a position where her expected behavior offered offense enough to justify my actions. So long as Matriarch Cylenia maintained control of the T'Soni portfolio, there was more benefit to her in using our funds to influence markets in ways that benefit her other clients than in following my direction. Without our funds, her income from fees drops significantly. Additionally, with our funds no longer available, Dedris Partners now loses much of the benefit they were able to provide to their other clients. I expect that those two factors will cause Dedris to become insolvent in less than a year."

Shepard let out a low whistle. "You definitely play for keeps."

"We do not have time for finesse."

"Says the person who just destroyed a company in less than fifteen minutes."

"I did have time to prepare. Cylenia did not. Even if she had, she would not have anticipated this chain of events, nor how highly motivated I am. You cannot judge the behavior of a matriarch based on your experience with me Shepard. Cylenia would have expected changes of this magnitude to play out over decades."

The pair entered the lobby. A terrified looking Alesi still sat at the reception desk, and Liara took pity on her.

She walked over to the uncomfortable young woman and spoke in a quiet voice. "Alesi, there was nothing you could have done. These events were going to happen no matter what you did. You should find Jedis Panya and ask her about some job opportunities she has coming up. I do not see a great deal of future with Dedris Partners."

Alesi's eyes were as wide as saucers. She wasn't able to voice a response, but she did nod her head in acknowledgement.

"Good girl." Liara turned away, and moved to join the others.

Shiala and Denai had risen when Liara and Shepard entered the lobby, and summoned an elevator. When it arrived, the four entered and were again treated with the spectacular view of Armali.

Liara turned to Shiala, "Jedis Panya will be sending you a list of people she would like for her new firm. I need to you vet the list she sends for any potential issues. Send the individuals that you approve of to Matriarch Nagalia to be recruited."

"Of course Ma'am."

Shepard had again assumed a position looking out the window. She called back over her shoulder. "Who are we off to see now?

"Stallura Psona. She is the the equivalent of a CEO for Khos Fabrications."

"And where is Khos Fabrications?"

"Their facilities are spread across the planet, actually. However, their headquarters is about sixty floors below us."

"That seems oddly convenient."

"They are a T'Soni held company Shepard, and we do own the building."

"Of course we do." Shepard had never turned around, but now she was shaking her head.

When Shepard offered nothing else, Liara activated her omni-tool and started tapping out a message:

Jedis,

Please assemble a list of personnel you believe would be useful to you in your new firm. Feel free to include individuals both currently with Dedris as well as with other organizations. You need not restrict yourself to financial staff, but that is where I want your focus. House T'Soni will provide you with personnel necessary for other departments for any position for which you do not already have someone in mind.

I ask that you send the list to Shiala Adolin before the end of the day.

LTS

That message sent, she began another:

Barrister Nagalia;

It was good to see you on the day of Benezia's release. You asked then if there was any assistance you could provide in your capacity as the senior member of House T'Soni's legal assembly. I now require your intercession.

I understand that Dedris Partners is in the process of renegotiating their lease at Mosoth. Their representative had been making the argument that Dedris should receive a reduction in cost due to the in kind value that they provide to House T'Soni. That value proposition no longer exists. Additionally, Dedris' fiscal outlook has recently changed and I fear that they may become a default risk. Please provide personal supervision of the negotiation process. Dedris Partners needs to be made to understand that whatever price they can now afford, the cost of the Mosoth suite they currently occupy will remain significantly higher than that amount. My expectation is that they should immediately begin to make appropriate arrangements. Matriarch Cylenia has no scheduled business on the nineteenth. Please communicate that I require that her firm vacate the premises on that date.

I do not want such prime space to stand vacant. Jedis Panya is in the process of starting a new portfolio management firm. She is to be provided a 20 year lease for the space currently occupied by Dedris. The first 5 years are to be at no cost to her firm, and the following 15 years are to be at a negotiated percentage of her firm's net profit. I would like for you to decide the starting point for the percentage negotiation. If it turns out my requirements of her firm preclude profitability, I do not wish for her to be concerned about being able to afford her office space.

Finally, Shiala will soon be sending you a list of professionals that Jedis would like to recruit. Please have your staff create employment offers for them. I am depending on you to make certain that Jedis gets everyone she needs. I need her new firm to be fully operational within 30 days.

Liara

House T'Soni

Liara deactivated her omni-tool and joined Shepard as she watched the city below them.

Shepard turned to her. "Are you expecting the next meeting to be as exciting?"

"Hopefully not. Matriarch Stallura has a reputation for getting things done. I would like to keep her in her present position if possible. Her continued service would lend credibility to our plans, and we are going to need people with her level of ability."

"So you don't expect her to resist taking direction from you?"

"From me, perhaps, although I think that resist may be too strong of a word. She is very intelligent, with a mind of her own. She has the potential of being a valued advisor in our cause if she can be convinced my path is valid. Coersion will not work in this case. It is my belief that your presence will lighten the tone of our meeting somewhat. Stallura was a commando for over 500 years and has an affinity for all things military. I hope that you will impress her."

"Thank goodness I finally have a role to play in this spectacle."

Liara smiled a sad little smile. "You do, Shepard, you do. Unfortunately, in this case it will likely not be enough. I anticipate that Matriarch Stallura will demand much more of an explanation for my actions than Jedis did."

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

The elevator doors parted into an office space far less ostentatious than those of Dedris Partners. As the group emerged from the elevator, they were immediately recognized by a tall matron in a yellow jumpsuit emblazoned with the Khos logo. She quickly moved from her position near the receptionist to intercept the party before they had made it more than a few steps into the office.

The matron stopped just short of Liara's party, brought her hands together and nodded to both Liara and Shepard. "Doctor T'Soni, Commander T'Soni, greetings. I'm Tonala, one of the engineers here at Khos. Matriarch Stallura is expecting you. Could you follow me please? I'll have someone guide the other members of your party to the staff lounge."

Shepard turned and raised an eyebrow at Liara. This was certainly a different reception than they had received at Dedris Partners, and in Shepard's opinion, one more suited to receiving the owner of a company.

Liara did not acknowledge Shepard's look, but instead remained focused on Tonala. "Thank you Tonala, that would be wonderful. I was unaware that we were expected."

"The matriarch began making preparations for your arrival earlier this afternoon. Shall we go to her now?"

"Yes, thank you."

Shepard could immediately sense that the Khos offices had a far different feel to those of Dedris. Even accounting for the different type of business, the office radiated productivity. People were moving quickly but not hurriedly, and gave an impression of competence. These were people who were not trying to look busy, they were busy. Tonala was recognized and greeted several times, although no one interacted with Liara or Shepard directly. The staff seemed happy to be there, and to be working with each other. Shepard realized that the reason the offices felt familiar to her was because the atmosphere was similar to that of the Normandy. She approved, and she liked what it said about Matriarch Stallura.

The matriarch's office was on the opposite side of the building from the elevator. Tonala lead them through the maze that was the Khos suite until they reached Stallura's office. It had taken a few minutes to reach their destination, and at no time was Shepard's initial impression of the company changed. If this was the kind of organization that Matriarch Stallura inspired, then she agreed with Liara's assessment of the matriarch's potential value. Tonala paused at the entrance to the office, knocked, and then opened it. "Matriarch, your guests have arrived." Tonala then turned to Liara and Shepard and indicated that they should enter. She closed the door behind the pair after they passed into the office.

Matriarch Stallura was an inch or two shorter than the average Asari, as well as being slightly more muscular. She was one of the purple Asari, with tattoos on her chin, forehead, and on her cheeks, just forward of her aurals. She had a ragged scar just over her left eye. She gave no indication of the formality of bearing typically associated with matriarchs. She was wearing the same style jumpsuit Liara and Shepard had observed on several employees in the office, and was standing behind her desk, leaning over her comm when they entered. Shepard found herself liking the Asari based on her first impression.

"I have to go. Get the QA data to me before you ship anything." Her voice was firm, but not aggressive.

"But Matriarch..."

"You heard me. There's too much variation in your process. All shipments are to be approved by me until you can prove consistency. Stallura out."

The matriarch straightened up and made eye contact with each of them in turn as she walked around her desk. She brought her hands together and made a half nod to Liara "Doctor. It is a pleasure to meet you. My condolences about Benezia." Liara nodded in return.

She then turned to Shepard and extended her right hand. "Commander. Of course I've heard of you as well." Shepard accepted the offered handshake, the first she'd received since arriving on Thessia. The grip was firm and friendly, as well as being as warm as could be expected given the Asari's body temperature. No, Shepard decided, Stallura was no Cylenia. If this visit ended with a need to oust the matriarch from her position, she would be nowhere nearly as easy a foe to overcome Cylenia had been.

Stallura looked from one to the other. Apparently having decided that formalities had been met to her satisfaction, she was right to business. She addressed Liara. "Are you here to remove me from my position as well?"

"I am here to discuss the status and strategy of Khos Fabrications."

"There hasn't been a T'Soni in these offices in over a century. This is something that you felt couldn't be discussed over comm?"

"I felt it appropriate to meet in person."

"You're here to see if you can work with me."

"I know I can work with you Matriarch. I'm here to see if you can work with me."

Stallura chuckled. "Fair enough. Shall we move this discussion to a conference room?" She indicated a side doorway to the right of her desk.

"Please."

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

The door opened onto a smallish conference room that gave the appearance of a great deal of use. As the room was adjacent to the matriarch's office, one wall was a window that looked out over Armali. One wall contained the door they had passed through, and the remaining two were covered with displays that were overlaid with notes and data. There was a rectangular table with seating for ten in the center of the room. The table contained a holographic display, and was covered with database and OSDs, although the latter were all moved to the far end of the table. The seat at the end closest to them had a cup of tea in front of it, with a cup of coffee in front of the seat to the right, and a glass of water in front go the seat to the left.

Shepard raised an eyebrow. "I knew we were expected, but coffee? I'm impressed."

"Then you are easily impressed Commander. Your ship is only at the other end of the city. I was on the other side of the planet when I was told that you were in the building. I had to take a ballistic shuttle to arrive before you did, and even then it was only by minutes."

The three each took the seat indicated by their preferred beverage. Shepard recognized that Stallura was ceding dominance to Liara by not having this initial meeting in the matriarch's office with a desk between them. Allowing Liara the position at the head of the conference table allowed Stallura to confirm her recognition of the power dynamic between her and the maiden, but to do so in a subtle enough manner that her own authority wasn't compromised.

Liara turned to Stallura to start the discussion. "Shepard is going to need an introduction to your organization Matriarch. Could you please provide a brief overview of Khos?"

Stallura was aware that the request was merely an icebreaker before the actual discussion, but she complied with the request as if it weren't. "Certainly, Doctor." She turned to Shepard. "Khos Fabrications is one of the largest manufacturing firms on Thessia. We control just under nineteen percent of all manufacturing on the planet either directly, or through one of our subsidiaries. We manufacture everything from skycars to sports equipment, from personal electronics to cooking appliances. The intermediate materials that went into constructing this building, as well as the benches in Tiusra Square were products manufactured in our facilities. We supply finished products directly to end users, as well as raw materials, components, assemblies, and sub assemblies to most industries."

Liara pressed the matriarch. "What about defense industries?"

Stallura paused for a moment before answering. "We do have some involvement in the defense industries, yes, mostly through our subsidiaries and guild relationships. For example, we supply many of the parts for the Armali Council line of omni-tools, although they do not use us in the manufacture of their bio-amps. This is likely due to the fact that we are the primary supplier to Serrice Council for their bio-amps. The Salarians use us for parts in the manufacture of their Spectre-Master gear. We also directly sell several lines of ammunition, mostly of the shield piercing variety. There has been discussion about adding an anti-biotic offering, but research has demonstrated that demand would be low, at least on Thessia."

"Only offerings for individual commandos then? No government contracts? No shipyards?" Liara knew the answers to her questions, but this was still for Shepard's benefit.

"We do supply individual commandos of course. We also have contracts with regional governments to supply their commando militias. Armali province is as you would expect, one of our largest customers in this regard, but far from our only one. Although we do manufacture ships, most of them are of the cargo or passenger variety. We occasionally have small contracts for fighters, corvettes, and the occasional frigate, but we have no open contracts at this time. We also currently have no contracts directly with the Asari Republics. Their orders tend towards destroyers and dreadnoughts, and the contracts for those orders have gone to the same few shipbuilders for millenia."

"But you could start producing, say frigates, immediately?"

"If necessary."

Liara produced a datapad and handed it to the matriarch. "How long would it take to reach this level of production?"

Stallura scrolled through the pad. "This isn't just frigates. This is frigates, weapons systems, defense systems, light and heavy munitions..."

"How long." Liara interrupted.

The matriarch tossed the pad onto the table between them. "You're preparing for a war."

"I believe that there is soon going to be a very large market for the items I have listed."

"_Why_ are you preparing for a war?"

"If the question is asked, you can say that Commander Shepard's military proclivities have led to several T'Soni companies taking an interest in the defense industries."

The matriarch turned to Shepard. "Why do _you_ want us to prepare for war?"

Liara answered for her. "She does not. That is just what you can say."

The matriarch smiled. "You're not giving me orders, we're having a conversation. Why? You could tell me what to do and remove me from my position if I don't. Why are we even discussing this?"

"I believe that you are the best person for the job. I do not wish to see you removed from your role. Khos has flourished under your leadership."

"That was a mistake."

"Oh?"

"You've let me know that my involvement is important to you. You no longer negotiate from a position of strength."

Shepard finally spoke up. "That's because this isn't a negotiation. Liara wants the ships, the weapons. All three of us know that you're the best person to deliver them. Why pretend that isn't true?"

"Because neither of you is being completely honest with me."

"We're not lying to you either."

Liara spoke up again. "I was being truthful when I said that I believe that there is going to be a large market for the items on that list. Perhaps not now, perhaps not even by Asari, but they will be needed, and when they are, it will be too late to build them."

Stallura picked up the datapad again. "At this rate of manufacture, we would significantly deplete even the T'Soni wealth if your customers don't materialize."

"They will. Even if they don't, ships are going to be more important than the T'Soni wealth."

The matriarch started to show some annoyance. "You've got to give me more than that, if you want my best."

Liara closed her eyes for a moment. When they reopened Shepard recognized the same haunted look that the maiden had displayed on Noveria. Shepard wondered if she would need to answer for her, but when Liara spoke her voice was firm, her tone resolute. "Over the next few years I expect to ask much of everyone associated with House T'Soni. More than Benezia, or any T'Soni head of House has asked of any of you before. You will build these weapons, and these ships. You will do it at the pace I require because I know that you can. We will however, not make all of them available to the market. Some items, the best items, will be held out for a private buyer. I will be that buyer."

Liara had finally shocked the matriarch. "To what end? Sedition? Are you planning raise your own navy? The Republics would never allow military power that rivals a large colony to be controlled by an individual, even if her name is T'Soni."

Liara shook her head. "Nothing of the sort. There may soon come a time when even the T'Soni wealth is meaningless, empty credits backed by forgotten promises. If that day comes, the only type of payment that will have worth will be the ability to provide refuge for loved ones. If there comes a time when the only coin of value will be the ability to get bondmates and children to safety, then I need to be able to pay in that coin."

The matriarch looked from one to the other. The doctor was a maiden, yes, but relatively respected even so. Her effective disposal of Cylenia spoke of a level of political prowess that was not something Liara was supposed to be known for. Also, Shepard was an Asari spectre and appeared to be in agreement with the maiden. Their shared past wasn't public, but she knew they had been together when Benezia was killed. Killed _by_ Shepard she reminded herself. There was much going on here that she didn't understand, too much that she didn't know. However, the maiden seemed earnest in her desires, and one thing the matriarch did understand and respect was willingness to sacrifice for her people. Still, Benezia's death may have been the catalyst for this course of action. She tested her hypothesis. "Surely this isn't about Saren and his Geth? You can't see them as a threat so great they could bring down the Republics?"

Liara gave the matriarch a small smile to acknowledge she recognized the chain of thought that Stallura had followed. "No, this is not about Saren. He may be involved, but he is not the threat that I am preparing for."

Shepard interrupted as the matriarch drew another breath to speak. "She's going to keep asking you know. You might as well tell her and let her decide for herself."

Liara sighed as she resigned herself to extending this meeting far longer than she wanted. "Matriarch, how much do you know about the Prothean Empire?"

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

By the time Liara's entourage returned to Tiusra Square, the afternoon was waning as Parnitha drew closer to sunset. The buildings around them still radiated the afternoon's warmth, and Shepard made it a point to savor what would be their last sunset during this trip to Thessia. Liara however, still seemed intent on moving with a purpose.

"What's next?" she asked the focused maiden.

Liara snapped from her reverie. "I had intended to return to the residence. There is no reason to be overly rushed tomorrow as I give my final instructions to the staff before we return to the Normandy."

"The residence?" Shepard was surprised. "I thought you said you wanted to have dinner in the city?"

"Our appointments took longer than I had hoped." That was an understatement. "I think it best that we go home instead."

Shepard considered Liara for a moment. The afternoon's activities seemed to have taken a toll on her friend, more noticeable now that she was no longer playing to an audience. Still, Liara needed to relax, and a place where she had to focus on filing the role vacated by her mother wasn't the place to do it. "Well, we're here now and you haven't been to Armali in decades. Your first visit home in years shouldn't be all work. Certainly there must be somewhere you'd like to go, old friends you want to see while you're in town? Maybe even old..." Shepard hated to say it, "girlfriends?"

Liara hesitated before responding. Shepard realized she'd said something wrong when she'd seen Shiala flinch.

"No, Shepard. There is no one for me here. I was really only ever in Armali as a small child."

Shepard could feel that Liara had more to say, and waited for her to continue. When she didn't Shepard surmised that it might be because of present company.

"I still think we should stay. What's your favorite restaurant in Armali?"

"I do not have a favorite restaurant Shepard."

Now Shepard detected a hit of sadness in Liara's voice, which made her even more concerned.

She turned to Shiala, "What's a good restaurant around here?"

"There are several popular venues nearby..." she began.

Shepard made eye contact. "I don't want popular. I want good," she gestured with her head towards Liara as an indiction that by good she meant something that Liara would enjoy.

Shiala considered her options.

* * *

A/N: Assumptions here include:  
FemShep/Liara (still pre LI, but we can all see it coming)  
Later ME1 - after Suspicions and Omissions  
After Noveria, before Virmire

Shepard is:  
Colonist / Vanguard / War Hero

All right, the end of chapter 8 and we still didn't make it out of Armali. Looks like chapter 9 will be dinner, and back to the T'Soni estate afterwards. We're very close to finished with Thessia though, I promise.

As always, feedback is welcome and desired.


	9. Chapter 9 - Poignant

Liara watched as Shepard drew Shiala aside. She observed Shepard gesturing back in her direction, obviously trying to make a point to the impassive matron. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate what the commander was trying to do for her. Nor was the issue that she didn't find the idea of sharing a meal with Shepard appealing. She found it very appealing - in theory. She missed their ritual of late suppers together on the Normandy, and they hadn't had one since before Noveria. Dining with an entourage however, had much less allure. She just couldn't bring herself to manifest much enthusiasm over the idea. Their discussions over dinner had always been in intimate solitude, and their next such dialog might very well shape all the others to come after.

Additionally, if she were to be honest with herself, the encounter with Matriarch Stallura had taken more out of her than she might have hoped. Liara was relieved that there had been no need to attempt to remove the matriarch from her position. Success with Matriarch Cylenia notwithstanding, Liara was far from certain she would have been able to do so. Stallura had many supporters both inside and outside of the company, and with good reason. There was no question that Stallura was the right person to manage Khos Fabrications. The woman was the epitome of what an Asari matriarch should be. Intelligent, perceptive, decisive, and opinionated, she had challenged Liara at every turn. Could there be any ambiguity about her interpretation of the Prothean beacon? If Saren were truly not the hazard that he was being portrayed as, why was the Citadel Council not involving themselves with the true threat? If there were genuinely a force that had been the cause of the destruction of all spacefaring life in the galaxy every fifty thousand years, what impact did Liara expect to have with the limited fleet she intended to assemble? What was Shepard's role going to be in all of this?

In the end, Liara suspected that her answers had been inadequate. She didn't know if Stallura even believed her about the Reaper threat, but she had at least convinced the matriarch to start the work that Liara needed. The conversation had slowly moved from "whys" to "hows". From that point on Liara had deferred more and more to Shepard. The spectre's experience in Humanity's military-industrial complex had fit together well with the matriarch's experiences, and together they had discussed methods to overcome obstacles to Liara's agenda that she had not even foreseen. The only disruptions to the flow of conversation had come when the matriarch might challenge Liara too directly. That tended to draw an abruptly negative response from Shepard. The reaction repeated itself often enough that Stallura quickly came to anticipate it, and would immediately have a counter ready to mollify the riled spectre. Shepard's behavior was of the same type that Ashley occasionally drew from the commander after mission briefings when the chief would rightly or wrongly challenge Liara's findings. Liara considered this. She had never occurred to her to wonder what message this behavior sent to the Normandy crew. Now she didn't need to wonder. Even without the events surrounding Benezia's release, she knew exactly what message had they unknowingly been delivering to Stallura.

On the other hand, was it unknowing? Shepard was nothing if not a master of situational awareness. Either she didn't care how her actions were interpreted, or she meant them to be interpreted precisely the way that they had been. She looked again at the commander. Her demeanor was becoming more and more agitated. Apparently Shepard expected that she would be able to convince Shiala to cooperate in her desire to allow Liara a night off. Unfortunately for the commander, Liara had already made her preferences known. Despite her admiration of Shepard, Shiala would no more act against Liara's wishes than she would have acted against Benezia's. Liara continued to watch as their interaction was rapidly moving in the direction of becoming a metaphor for an irresistible force acting on an immovable object. Liara sighed. Sarah had already done so much for her, with so much more to come. This seemed more important to the spectre than Liara had originally realized. Liara made eye contact with Shiala, and with a tired smile, gave her a nod.

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

Neither of Shiala's options were particularly good ones. She was finally in a situation where Liara and Shepard had opposing inclinations. Shepard seemed adamant that the original plan of dinner in the city be followed. Shiala could tell this wasn't a selfish desire, the commander was obviously trying to do this for Liara. However, Shepard probably wasn't fully aware of Liara's history as it related to more intimate social encounters. Additionally, Liara's stated preference was to return to the T'Soni estate, and Liara's wishes would always have to take precedence. Shiala could tell that something was bothering the maiden, and Liara was obviously still reflecting on the meetings from the afternoon. Shiala allowed Shepard to take her aside for further discussion while the honor guard remained focused on Liara. Hopefully she could convince Shepard to allow the entourage to return to the residence without further dalliance in Armali.

Unfortunately, Shepard was not known for her lack of determination.

As soon as they were far enough away for a semblance of privacy, Shepard led with an emotional plea. "You know she needs this Shiala. Tomorrow she has to be strong for her goodbyes, and then we're back to the chase."

"I appreciate what you're trying to do Shepard, but this would not be restful for her."

"She's mentioned she's been on a few unsuccessful dates when she was younger, but that can't have turned her off of going out entirely. Besides, this isn't a date. This is a meal where she can take off her 'I have to fill Benezia's shoes' mask for a little while. There's almost no one around, it will just be a quiet outing. Additionally, it wouldn't hurt if she was able to build some positive associations with this kind of thing. She wasn't the head of House T'Soni the last time she went out for a bite you know."

"No, she wasn't. She was still Liara however, and still a T'Soni. She grew up with everyone around her being acutely aware of that."

"She isn't a child Shiala. You don't need to protect her. She can make her own choices."

"So you say. Yet here you are, trying to take action to the contrary of a choice she's made."

"I'm reminding her of what she chose earlier, and that the decision she made then is still a good one. She's been through a lot over the last week. She needs time, at least a moment, to catch her breath."

"And the need for that moment can just as easily be fulfilled at the residence. Somewhere where she feels safe and secure."

"You don't think she feels safe with me?"

There was no way that Shiala was going to touch _that_ comment. She was afraid to admit to herself what she thought Shepard meant to Liara, but implicit trust was an obvious part of it. Perhaps honesty would persuade the commander. "Like you, all I want is what's best for Liara. You're right, she needs rest. She seems to think that need is best met back at the residence, and I have to abide by her wishes."

"I understand, I really do. I'm just seeing something in Liara that I don't think is good for her. She's been head of the T'Soni House for a little over a day? Every moment since has been has been spent in mourning or preparing for the Reapers. I'm the last person to say that isn't important, but this isn't going to be a sprint. There's no way she'll be able to operate at this level for the long term. She needs to pace herself or she isn't going to have any reserves available when she really needs them."

"That's somewhat similar to the example you set."

Shepard looked away for a moment. When she turned back, there was fire in her eyes. "You might be right, but this is what I've trained for. To protect others. She hasn't."

"But you would deny her the same opportunity? Is it so important to you that the archetype of galactic hero be 'Commander Shepard' that you're unwilling to share the burden?"

"Of course not! That's why I built a team! No one can do this themselves - including her. She needs to let others be there for her. She can't do it all. Soon the council will take a more active involvement in all this. We'll have more people and ships getting ready for the Reapers than we'll know what to do with."

Shiala could guess that when Shepard said "others" she had one very specific other in mind, but she let that pass as well as Liara turned and met her gaze. It appeared that the subject of their conversation had just come to her rescue. She returned her attention to Shepard. "It looks like you're going to get your wish after all."

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

Shepard and Liara had only been waiting for a few minutes when Shiala returned to them.

"Jiirae's is nearly empty, and I can highly recommend it." She addressed Liara specifically, "Eliata and Teseka will dine in the bistro, but not with you. Lysliis and Anedra will stay with Denai and I. There is another restaurant nearby in the plaza with outside seating. The four of us will eat there where we can keep Jiirae's in sight. I don't expect any trouble, but I want to be as close to you as possible."

Liara didn't look nearly as self assured as she had a few minutes before, so Shiala continued. "The rarae is excellent. Shepard seemed to enjoy the samiss night before last, so I'm sure she'll appreciate the rarae as well." When there was still was no comment from either she continued, "Shall we?"

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

The restaurant that Shiala led them to was tiny, but smelled heavenly. Liara heard Shepard's stomach rumble in a reminder that their late breakfast had apparently not been late enough for the spectre.

Shepard walked in half a step ahead of Liara, and surveyed the room, obviously taking the scope of the small restaurant. The space was elegant, with stone columns offsetting wooden walls and floors. There was a small bar, currently unoccupied. There were only 6 other diners occupying the dozen tables for two. Two of the diners were Liara's commandos. Liara reminded herself that Shepard still needed to be introduced to Eliata and Teseka, especially Teseka. The commandos were the closest diners to the door of the establishment. Eliata was sitting facing the door to the outside, Teseka, the commando wearing Shepard's red and white stripe, was facing the door to the kitchen. Eliata met Liara's eyes with a nod.

A dignified looking matriarch came over to greet them. "It is an honor to serve members of House T'Soni. I am Matriarch Matolis. May I guide you to your table?"

The matriarch had clearly directed her speech to Liara, so she replied for them both. "Yes, Matriarch, thank you."

The matriarch led the pair to a table in the far corner. There was already an open bottle of wine, and the matriarch stood ready for direction as Liara and Shepard sat and arranged themselves. They were quickly joined by one of the serving staff, who placed a plate loaded with several ke'ah rolls filled with a thinly sliced cooked meat on their table. The matriarch observed in judgmental silence as the server proceeded to pour the wine. After the server retreated, the matriarch spoke to the pair. "Would you like some time, or are you ready to hear tonight's entrees? If nothing we have is to your liking, we would be more than happy to procure anything you prefer."

Again, Liara answered. "We've been told to ask for the rarae."

"An excellent choice, Peeress. Rarae is one of Jiirae's specialties. She'll be thrilled at the opportunity to prepare it for such distinguished guests. Will the traditional pheey and tubers be acceptable, or did you have a specific accompaniment that you preferred?" Liara gave a subtle glance to Shepard and received the tiniest of head shakes in return.

"I would never presume to override the cuisinier's selection Matriarch, thank you."

Matolis looked from one to the other, confirming that the pair had no additional needs. Once she had established that to her satisfaction, she bowed slightly and withdrew towards the kitchen.

Liara's gaze remained focused on the retreating matriarch until she was out of sight. She closed her eyes, and took a deep breath with the hope of calming her rising anxiety. There was nothing wrong here she reminded herself. Nothing to dread, nothing to fear. She was surrounded by friends, friends whose goal was to keep her as safe as possible. The venue wasn't the issue, she acknowledged. Nor was she not hungry. In fact, she was very much looking forward to the rarae, one of her favorite dishes.

The problem was, of course, Shepard. Shepard was why she wanted to go home tonight, why she'd been so quiet since meeting with Stallura, why she'd been focused on finalizing her instructions for House T'Soni. Honestly, Shepard was why she had intended to work until she dropped tonight.

Almost everything since Benezia's funeral had gone as she had planned, as she had hoped. Shepard couldn't have fulfilled the role Liara had placed her in any better than if they had rehearsed for months. The fact that Shepard had done it with no warning, no coaching, was practically unbelievable. The level of trust Shepard had placed in Liara made her feel... ashamed. She had more than taken advantage of her friend, she had placed an obligation on her that would change her life. The fact that Shepard raised no objection, no dissent, made Liara fear the reason for the amiability that Shepard had maintained throughout the last few days. What if Shepard simply didn't understand the ramifications of everything that had occurred since arriving on Thessia? What if Shepard was angry or upset once they were back on the Normandy, and Shepard had time to reflect on recent events? What if she rejected House T'Soni, rejected Liara? That didn't bear thinking about. Liara was unwavering in her determination to fulfill her responsibilities to her house, but now, when she was honest with herself, admitted that it was Shepard who gave her the tenacity to sustain that determination. It was more than a little terrifying how much she had come to depend on Sarah. It had happened so gradually, so easily, so... completely.

She slowly released the last of several deep breaths. Breaths that were meant to calm her, but had done no such thing. She opened her eyes to meet the gaze of her dinner partner for the first time since having been seated. She was mildly surprised to see that Shepard had a relaxed smile on her face. She suddenly felt like a weight had been lifted from her chest. The calmness that she had found so elusive washed over her, and she was able to present a serene demeanor to the commander.

"You look terribly pleased with yourself. Is this you being satisfied that you convinced me to have dinner in the city?"

"I hadn't even reached that level of satisfaction yet. I'm just thinking that since I've made it to Thessia, I've had dinner with Shiala, breakfast with your staff, and breakfast with you and Tevos. This is the first time we've been alone, that I can finally see how you're really doing as opposed to acting."

"We are not alone Shepard."

"That's the spirit, deflect. We're alone enough. How. Are. You. Doing. Liara."

Liara considered how much to disclose, and how to disclose it. She tried to keep it light. "I am well Shepard, or as well as I have any reason to expect. As horrible as the Reaper threat is, it is giving me something to focus on."

Shepard didn't quite roll her eyes. "Liara, you can't work to the exclusion of everything else." Shepard didn't go any further. Now probably wasn't time to point out that solely immersing herself in archaeology probably contributed to maintaining her estrangement from Benezia. Something was obviously bothering the maiden, but Shepard had already learned that you couldn't pressure something out of the Asari. The maiden could certainly keep a secret. She knew she would have to wait for Liara to be ready to confide in her.

"The needs of the galaxy are more important than the comfort of one Asari, Shepard."

_'Not when you're the Asari.'_ Shepard reminded herself not to push. Liara needed reassurance, not confrontation. "I just worry about you Liara."

"Shepard, you have already done so much, too much. I couldn't ask for a better friend, a more trusted companion. I am sorry that I have kept you away from the mission for so long."

"Liara, this is our mission. It isn't just saving the galaxy, it's making sure we help keep the galaxy worth saving."

Liara looked down at the plate in front of Shepard. Shepard recognized the purple rising in the young Asari's cheeks. It was time to change the subject, even if just for a little while.

"Shall we try the wine?"

"I would like that very much Shepard."

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

Shepard sipped her wine. A hint of a smile touched her lips as she considered that as good as this wine was, the wine at the T'Soni estate was superior. Liara apparently needed it more than she did. Shepard set her glass down to provide Liara with a refill. The maiden had finished her first glass in less than a minute.

"What is this Liara?" Shepard gestured to the food.

"The ke'ah rolls are filled with nulyr, a fairly exotic choice. It is one of the few Asari meats not from the ocean."

"Makes sense. I haven't seen many cows or chickens on Thessia. What is this from?"

"The nulyr is similar to crocodiles on Earth. Asari don't have anything analogous to a cow, but we do have biry, which is similar to your ostrich."

Shepard looked askance at her crocodile roll.

"They really are good, Shepard." Liara picked one up and popped it in her mouth to prove her point.

Shepard duplicated her motion, albeit more slowly. "This is fantastic!" She quickly grabbed another. The commander showed slowly as she relished the combination of sweet and bitter flavors. "It tastes like lemon and saffron." The nulyr reminded Shepard of the Moroccan food she loved. After a moment she noticed Liara finally starting to show a little bit of a smile. Liara always perked up when Shepard was obviously excited about something. She tried to keep the trend going.

"So, about the red and white stripe..."

"It seemed appropriate Shepard. Your new, um, status, necessitates at least a minimal honor guard. Shiala believed that Teseka would be a good fit."

"Former military? Off planet experience?"

"Discipline problem. Unfortunately when she disobeys orders, she tends to be right."

Shepard didn't reply. She just turned her head slightly. Liara's smile grew a little more. It wasn't often that she was able to tease the commander, nor that she felt comfortable enough to do so.

Shepard let Liara have her moment before asking "Who's the other commando?"

"That is Eliata. She is going to take over as the captain of the guard for House T'Soni."

"But not yet?"

"Isyrzea, the current captain, is leaving us. Her loyalty was primarily to Benezia, and she is moving on to other things. I plan to offer Eliata the opportunity to take the oath before we leave for the Normandy. Both Isyrzea and Shiala recommended her independently as the most qualified candidate. I was using the trip to Armali to observe her myself and form my own opinion."

"And your opinion is?"

"She seems quite competent. She is not someone I would go to for counsel, but perhaps that will come in time."

It was at this moment that dinner arrived. Matriarch Matolis moved from where she had been observing the diners to be mindful of their needs, to supervising the servers who carried Shepard and Liara's meals. The plates were placed neatly before each diner, and the remains of the appetizers removed. Shepard thought the plate was rather large. The rarae was a reddish white fish, which resembled nothing more than a swordfish steak, if one was large enough to cut into 8 slices, each about four centimeters square. The pheey was an orange marinated vegetable resembling asparagus, and the tubers were green skinned, shaped similarly to baby carrots. Everything about the dinner smelled amazing, but she was going to wait for Liara before she tasted anything.

The servers were quickly done organizing the table to Matolis' satisfaction. Before Liara could assure the matriarch they had no other needs, Shepard spoke up. "We would like another bottle of wine please." Liara's eyes widened slightly, but she said nothing. The bottle had been thin, and had only provided three pours. Two had gone to Liara, and Shepard wanted a glass with dinner. The matriarch inclined her head to Shepard. "Of course, Peeress. It will be out at once."

Once the wine arrived, Shepard waited for Liara to make a selection before emulating her choice. Liara had gone directly for the rarae, and used her curved fork to cut off a bite sized piece. When Shepard put the fish into her mouth she was rewarded with an explosion of flavor. If the restaurant's wine had been inferior to what was available at the estate, the food more than made up for it.

They ate in companionable silence for a while, before Shepard opened the conversation again. "Shiala was quite against this you know."

"As I have said before, she worries about me. Probably too much. We will both be returning to our other duties soon. I to the Normandy, and she to Zhu's Hope. I am certain she is concerned what will happen after that occurs."

"I think she was more concerned about tonight, just going out to dinner, than she was concerned about the mission."

Liara looked down again. "I have a reputation of not being... successful at social interaction. She is still trying to protect me."

Shepard cocked an eyebrow. "That's what I keep hearing, but I find it difficult to believe. Beautiful, intelligent, and a member of a Great House of Thessia? You probably had suitors falling all over themselves."

Liara had glanced up at "beautiful", but quickly lowered her gaze again. "It was not like that Shepard. Benezia was... intimidating. Most young Asari weren't willing to risk her wrath in order to attempt to see me socially."

"Most, but not all?"

"Those that would tended to be forceful, aggressive. I was shy, bookish, socially unskilled. It was not that I had no interest in relationships, but I never found someone with whom I could make one work. I would accept a social invitation in the hope to find someone with whom I might share common interests, perhaps even with whom I could discuss my doctoral studies. They tended expect someone like themselves, a typical Asari maiden with a typical maiden's drives and desires. When I did not immediately reciprocate their advances, the reaction tended to be disagreeable. After a few attempts, it made more sense to focus my attention on my research."

This had taken a depressing turn that Shepard had not anticipated. She contemplated the young Asari's tale. Liara had been overcome with grief at Benezia's death. Shepard had also seen the maiden curious, determined, angry, and terrified. She had never before seen the defeated sadness Liara currently had in her voice. "I'm so sorry Liara. It sounds very lonely."

"I became used to it. Few Asari my age are able to endure long stretches of solitude. I believe that ability was part of what helped me to complete my thesis so early." She looked wistful.

Shepard recognized Liara's attempt to put a positive spin on her past, but her tone was bordering on morose. "Liara, anyone with half a brain would thank their lucky stars to be with you. Maybe you shouldn't wait for the right person to approach you. Be aggressive yourself. When you find the right someone, don't let the opportunity pass. Let them know how you feel. Take the initiative." Shepard's stomach knotted at her words. She wanted to reassure her friend, but she found the thought of Liara with someone else to be intensely distasteful. For the third time today she was thinking about Liara in a way that she was certain the Asari would not appreciate - particularly in terms of "drives and desires". She had to put those thoughts out of her head, and count herself lucky to have the relationship they had.

Liara looked up when Shepard paused. There was worry on the spectre's face, but sadness too. "Take the initiative" she had said. Surely the commander did not mean with her? Liara hesitated. No, she must have meant in general. There was no way someone as accomplished as the commander could be interested in a naïf like her, someone who could barely hold her own in battle. Shepard must be despairing that Liara could ever be able to put a relationship together. Did she seem that incapable? Shepard, Shiala, Alaya, even Stallura behaved as if she were made of spun glass. Acted as if she needed a protector, someone to help her to make correct decisions. It saddened her that everyone in her life seemed to think so little of her. She sighed. "I will do that Shepard, I promise. If I find the right person, I will be sure I let them know."

The pair continued their dinner in a melancholy silence.

* * *

A/N: Assumptions here include:  
FemShep/Liara (still pre LI, but we can all see it coming. If only they could...)  
Later ME1 - after Suspicions and Omissions  
After Noveria, before Virmire

Shepard is:  
Colonist / Vanguard / War Hero

Finally! Chapter 9 and we made it to dinner! Our heroines did not starve, but they certainly aren't happy. Back to the Normandy by the end of Chapter 10? Perhaps.

As always, feedback is welcome and desired.


	10. Chapter 10 - Observations

The evening had finally grown cool, but not unpleasantly so. The outdoor cafe was only moderately abuzz with the people from the surrounding businesses who were using this time to enjoy dinner, after work drinks, or the company of each other.

One couple however was noticeably quieter than others. Neither were drinking, and although one was focused on her companion, her companion was staring into the distance.

Finally, the silence would be endured no longer. "You seem quite displeased my captain. Can you not put your concern aside long enough to enjoy the meal?"

"I am not unhappy Denai, and I was never _your_ captain."

"And yet your food is untouched, and you glare across the mall as if you can see through the wall into the restaurant. Eliata would have reported if there were any concerns. Liara is fine. You cannot possibly think that Shepard is a threat to her."

Shiala gave Denai a foul look. _'How can she not see the problem?'_ "Shepard would give her life for Liara without a moment's hesitation, and she certainly is a threat."

"You make no sense."

"Liara is in no physical danger. The danger is in the feelings she is developing for this spectre. I have nothing but respect for Shepard, but the influence she's having on Liara will impact House T'Soni for centuries to come."

"It is Liara's house to rule."

"Yes, but Liara is changing, and changing rapidly. Would the Liara we knew Name a human? Would she challenge Cylenia? Stallura? _Tevos_? It is her House to rule, and I will support her decisions. However, I fear her becoming reckless, costing the House allies that I know we'll need."

"Shepard has a penchant for acquiring allies."

"Possibly another reason that Liara seems unconcerned with maintaining the ones we have."

"Perhaps the ones we have are not the ones we'll need."

"You defend Shepard as well."

"I see no need to defend Shepard. I am defending Liara's choices."

"Yet you swore an oath to Shepard, not to Liara."

"I swore an oath to a member of the House I serve. An oath you yourself have taken, and have not asked to be released from."

They were talking in circles. Shiala was finding it difficult to make her point to Denai without attacking Shepard - something she had no desire to do. There had to be a different tactic she could try.

"I believe that Liara may be making the decisions that she is because she believes they are the decisions that Shepard would want her to make."

Denai considered. "That is... possible. However, Liara is in no way a thrall of the Human. In fact, despite the benefits Shepard gains with her change in status, she has largely been following Liara's direction since Benezia's release. Hardly the behavior of someone adhering to an agenda."

Shiala momentarily closed her eyes. "This Shepard is very different from the spectre I saw on Feros."

"I would expect her to behave differently in the heart of the Asari Republics as opposed to in combat on a remote Human colony. Shepard isn't the problem here. You've told me the stories, and you all but look upon her with hero worship. What's really bothering you?"

"She's in love with her!" Nearby diners turned at Shiala's shout. Remembering they were in a very public place, she lowered her tone. "She's in love with her."

"I know. Of course I know."

"Nearly a century of practically begging her to so much as date, and now this? How can it possibly end well? Shepard was already becoming influential in her limited way. Elevating to the status of spectre and becoming a member of House T'Soni only increases her influence. Liara is virtually a child. Shepard will likely either ignore Liara's feelings, or break her heart. She'll have no interest in a relationship with an unsophisticated youth."

Denai just looked at Shiala impassively.

"You think otherwise."

"I think I have sworn an oath to House T'Soni, in the form of Sarah Jane Shepard T'Soni. Sarah would never hurt Liara. You said that yourself."

"I meant that she would never allow Liara to come to physical harm."

"I agree, but she has demonstrated that she supports Liara in many ways, not just in defending her person."

"She cannot serve multiple masters. Or perhaps you believe Shepard would support the House over her oath to the Alliance?"

"Sarah would resign from the Human military if such a conflict of interest arose."

Shiala was so incredulous at Denai's comment that for a moment she found it almost impossible to speak. "Are you deranged? Are you also so taken with Shepard that you believe that she would put Liara, put us, over the needs of her own race?"

"Yes."

"For Goddess' sake why?"

Denai smiled a small smile. "Because we are family."

Shiala couldn't believe what she was hearing. Shepard was very impressive, but how had she managed to have this effect on Denai, a matron known for her practicality? Was this quality of the spectre what allowed her to build her multi-species team? Was this trait what caused Liara to fall in love with her? She had never seen someone with the ability to evoke such loyalty with so little apparent effort. Still, even loyalty was not the bond of blood that Denai was crediting Shepard with. "_Cari'ssi'mi_ doesn't mean to her what it means to us Denai. To her it is a legal term that gives her rights and responsibilities. We are not blood to her."

"I say we are."

"I don't mean to imply that she isn't an honorable person, but look at your own experience. Liara had to intervene before Shepard would allow you to swear fealty. That's how little we mean to her."

"That's how much we mean to her, not how little. She takes her position in the family very seriously. She was unwilling to accept an obligation to me that she might be unable to fulfill. Once she accepted, it became part of who she was. You weren't there, you didn't see her bearing or the look on her face. I think my oath means more to her than it does to me, and it means a great deal to me."

"I'm sorry, but that isn't possible. Shepard has only been a member of the House for two days! You're projecting. You make her a paragon in your mind. This allows you to justify swearing fealty to a Human."

"I did no such thing. I swore my oath to one of the two living members of House T'Soni. Not the one, I might add, that you are expressing distress over."

Shiala closed her eyes. She should have kept her own counsel. It had been less frustrating to keep her grievances to herself than to voice it and have it discounted or misunderstood. However, now that Denai knew how she felt, Shiala needed her to understand. "It isn't that I'm against Liara expanding her involvement in managing House affairs. In fact, I'm very much for it. I even endorse the way she's challenging the status quo around here. The long term is what concerns me. What is she going to do when this mission of theirs is over? When Liara is here, and Shepard has moved on to the next assignment, the next crisis? The Systems Alliance isn't the only power Shepard is beholden to. She also answers to the Council, to Tevos specifically. Tevos will not be forgiving of her pet spectre being distracted by House T'Soni affairs."

"The Citadel Council is a very conservative body, as is the Conclave of Matriarchs. Thessia was a founding member of the Council. It is improbable that the goals of the Council and of Thessia will ever be at odds to any meaningful degree. Liara now seems to be aligning the goals of House T'Soni with the needs of Thessia. I find the likelihood of conflict between the needs of the Council and the needs of Thessia to be unlikely. In fact, Councilor Tevos will likely approve of the influence that being a member of the House will have on Shepard. It will temper her priorities in Thessia's favor."

"You seem so satisfied with how you believe events will play out. Does that mean you would do nothing?"

"I intend to do my part to ensure that House T'Soni meets the goals set by Liara and Sarah. They believe that Saren is a threat, that the Reapers, whatever they are, are also a threat. They need us to fortify, to stand ready. I will work with Eliata, Stallura, Iryra, Alaya, Jedis, and others to do everything we can to ensure that House T'Soni is prepared for what is coming."

Shiala bowed her head. "That's what Benezia was trying to do. She was trying to act against the threat of Saren as she thought appropriate. It cost her her life. It cost the lives of many acolytes and commandos. It would have cost my life as well, if not for Shepard. I will be long indebted to the colonists of Zhu's Hope because of the decisions made by Benezia. Benezia was one of the most powerful matriarchs of her generation. She had the strength and wisdom of ages. If she could fail, what will happen when Liara follows the same path? How much devastation will this course of action bring on House T'Soni? What will happen to her?"

Denai was becoming more and more confused. Shiala had no tendency towards emotional outbursts. If anything, she was a stoic. What was the trigger here?

Finally, it started to come together. When Benezia was busy with her businesses, her writings, or her work in government, it was Shiala to whom it fell to keep Liara on track and engaged. It was Shiala who oversaw Liara's self defense training. Shiala who coached her when she played skyball. Shiala who had been there when Liara graduated from university, and again when she received her doctorate. Even when Liara and Benezia were at their most distant from each other, it was with Shiala that Liara remained in contact. Denai knew that Shiala had no children of her own, and realized now who had filled that need in her to this point. Liara had never stopped loving her mother, but she had become a surrogate child to Shiala. That would explain why Shiala was always so concerned about Liara's well being, and why she would go so far to protect the maiden.

Denai reached across the table, and took Shiala by the hand. Shiala turned back from looking at Jiirae's, down at her hand, then up at Denai. The emotion on her face was raw and blatant. Denai considered her suspicions confirmed. Shiala wasn't worried _about_ Liara, she was worried _for_ Liara. Denai rubbed her thumb across the back of Shiala's hand, and gave her another small smile. "It's going to be all right. We're going to get through this. Benezia acted alone, but Liara has Shepard."

When Shiala continued looking at her silently, Denai continued, "Sarah loves her too, you know."

"I know."

* * *

A/N: Assumptions here include:  
FemShep/Liara (still pre LI, but apparently others are getting tired of waiting)  
Later ME1 - after Suspicions and Omissions  
After Noveria, before Virmire

Shepard is:  
Colonist / Vanguard / War Hero

No, *sigh*, we didn't finish the story with Chapter 10. This wasn't even what I intended to write. When I took a step back from the restaurant, I found Shiala watching it too, and thus this short chapter. One thing that came out of it though - I really, really like Denai.

As always, feedback is welcome and desired.


	11. Chapter 11 - Realizations

The Asari Republics had a significant influence on Citadel Space. The Asari were founding members of the Citadel Council. The Asari themselves, being such a long lived race, were able to impact societal and cultural norms simply by outliving those who might attempt to steer those norms in a different direction. Although enforcing law routinely fell to the children of Palaven, defining that law was often the purview of the children of Thessia.

In the short term, Humanity may very well owe their continued existence to the Asari. Although able to fight the Turians to a standstill during the First Contact War, the militaries of both races acknowledged that Humanity would have eventually lost. The Asari initiated peace brokered between Humanity and the races of Citadel space prevented what may well have been an extinction event for Humanity. Thessia saw promise in the young race, and outside of a xenophobic minority, humans seemed enraptured with the Asari in return. So fascinated were the races with each other that several forecasts saw the number of new Asari bondings including a Human to exceed 50% of all Asari pairings in less than 75 years. As becoming a bondmate with an Asari effectively eliminated a Human from Humanity's breeding pool, it remained to be seen if the Asari might yet become the cause of Humanity's extinction at some far off future date.

Although some Humans were already lamenting the loss of some of Humanity's best and brightest to the siren song of the Asari, Humanity was not without several significant impacts on the Asari as well. Despite being short lived, Humans were accelerating progress in space exploration, scientific research, and the social sciences. The drive for knowledge was one that Humans shared with Salarians, but Humanity's stubbornness allowed Humans to one up even them. One reason that so many Humans were forming relationships with Asari was because they were spending so much time in close quarters together pushing back the boundaries of galactic nescience. The inclusion of Humans on Asari exploration expeditions had been a turning point for both races.

All that aside, none of the impact that the Asari had on Humanity had the immediacy to what many considered to be Humanity's strongest impact on Thessian culture.

Dessert.

A sweetened course at the end of a formal meal was something that the Asari had never considered. Given that Thessia had no equivalent to sugar cane or sugar beets, Asari had tended to associate "sweet" with "fruit", and breakfast. Thessia also had no mammal that corresponded with Earth's cow (not that the Asari would ever have considered milk an agricultural product). Therefore creams of all kinds had never been adopted in Thessian cooking. Earth's introduction of cacao seeds, vanilla orchids, cinnamomum verum, and other ingredients to galactic cuisine, while accepted by many species, had been embraced wholeheartedly by the Asari. Nearly all high end dining on Thessia now included a dessert course, where none had less than 20 years before. The sweeter the dessert the better, at least as far as the Asari were concerned.

Tonight's dinner had taken a disheartening turn, but Shepard was still unwilling to admit defeat. Her objective had been to provide an enjoyable evening for Liara and she was still committed to her goal. Even though things had started well, when discussion had turned to the maiden's social experience, Shepard was reintroduced to the shy and withdrawn Liara that Shepard had seen less and less of over the last several weeks. Shepard kept the conversation light as she tried to give the maiden time to return to her more cheerful self. When that didn't happen, Shepard decided that additional action was necessary.

Liara was still picking at the remains of her dinner, so Shepard looked over and made eye contact with Matriarch Matolis. She indicated to the matriarch that she should bring the dessert menu that she had been holding for nearly 10 minutes.

The matriarch moved smoothly to their table, and attempted to hand the menu to Liara. Shepard practically leapt halfway out of her seat to intercept the menu, drawing a displeased look from Matolis. Shepard quickly scanned the sheet for a version of what she knew had to be there, and smiled wickedly at what she found. "Have you made a decision Commander?" Matolis managed to sound both helpful and judgmental at the same time. Instead of answering the matriarch, Shepard motioned her over with with two of her fingers. Matolis didn't quite roll her eyes as she moved to a position at the spectre's shoulder. This allowed Shepard to point to the Alliance Standard translation of her selection, residing just below the flowing Attena script. Matolis regarded the spectre for a long moment before nodding her head and turning to the kitchen.

Shepard realized that she had again broadcast a specific message just by doing what came naturally when she was around Liara. She closed her eyes and wondered if Matolis would be the next interview she would see on her omni-tool.

"What did you order Shepard?" Liara's voice snapped Shepard back to the moment.

She tried to maintain the surprise a little longer. "Something from Earth."

Liara gave Shepard a look that meant _'Of course something from Earth.' _"Is it ice cream?" Shepard thought she detected a hopeful tone in Liara's voice.

Shepard smiled back at the maiden, letting her silence be her answer.

The Normandy was well stocked with ice cream. It was a favorite of her commander, and Shepard made sure their supply was topped off at each provisioning. The evening that Shepard introduced Liara to vanilla ice cream was one of the commander's favorite memories. Liara's love of the frozen treat was why Normandy had to order nearly twice as much as before the maiden joined the mission. Shepard waited for Liara's response.

Liara made the assumption that Shepard expected, and hurriedly moved her plates aside to clear space for what she was hoping for. The service staff quickly moved to take the unwanted dishes away.

This was working even better than Shepard had hoped. Liara was practically bouncing with anticipation. Her back was to the kitchen area, and Shepard watched Liara fight the urge to turn around when she heard the sound of the kitchen door open. The maiden won that battle, but it was a near thing. Matriarch Matolis herself brought the dish, and placed the large bowl in the center of the table.

For a moment, Liara was speechless. She breathlessly asked "What_ is _it?"

Matolis answered before Shepard could even take a breath. "Peeress, the dish is a double fudge sundae, with whipped cream, chocolate sprinkles, _cial_ nuts, and maraschino cherries." The matriarch paused and turned her gaze to Shepard. "For two."

Liara tore her eyes from the huge bowl in front of her at that last. "For two?"

Shepard put her hand on the back of her neck. "Well, it is a large dish..."

Matolis just shook her head as she turned and left the table.

Liara reached for one of the two spoons sticking out of the mass of whipped cream. "What do I do?"

Shepard moved her chair ninety degrees around the table to allow her to be beside Liara as opposed to across from her. She pulled the other spoon out of the sugary mass, and started using it to indicate the layers. "The chocolate is hot when it's poured. That means we can't take too long to eat it. The whipped cream, cherries, nuts, and sprinkles add extra flavor to the..."

"Ice cream!" Liara had started digging through the layers while Shepard continued her description. Once she revealed the ice cream, the maiden used her spoon to take a large scoop when she immediately put in her mouth.

Shepard grinned at her friend. "The point of a sundae is to mix the different flavors and textures." Liara watched as Shepard slid her spoon down one side of the sundae, collecting as many different ingredients as possible. "That's what makes it so good." Liara duplicated Shepard's maneuver and was rewarded with an outpouring of flavor that she was unprepared for.

Liara quickly took another spoonful, and another, and another. Shepard realized that if she wanted any of this dessert she would have to pick up the pace herself. The table became quite messy as the pair practically raced through the sundae. A significant portion of the massive dessert disappeared over the course of several minutes. Shepard was astounded by how much of the confection they had been able to consume.

Shepard was glad at how enthusiastically Liara had eaten. Turning her attention to the maiden only reinforced that the dessert had been just the right idea. A small smile played across Shepard's face as she gazed at the contented maiden sitting next to her, chocolate on her cheek and whipped cream on her chin. Out of reflex Shepard grabbed a napkin and reached to wipe the mess away. Liara's eyes widened as she pulled back sharply.

_'I've done it again,'_ Shepard thought, as she tried not to let her dismay at Liara's reaction show on her face. She had grown so comfortable around Liara that she kept presuming liberties, like in this case, permission to touch. Liara still looked startled, but as Sarah drew her hand back, Liara leaned forward, closer than she had been before. The young Asari's eyes remained wide as she allowed Sarah to slowly wipe her cheek, chin, and ever so gently, her lips.

When Shepard was finished, Liara sat back, and raised two fingers to her lips as if verifying that they were still there. "I, I am sorry I startled you Shepard," the maiden's voice was barely above a whisper, "but you took me by surprise. I have never seen Humans do that before, and it is a very... un-Asari thing to do."

"No, I apologize Liara, I shouldn't have presumed. I just saw the chocolate on your face..." she trailed off.

"And because I could not see it, you decided to assist?" _'That is so like Shepard,'_ she thought. "It must be a uniquely Human thing." Liara paused, "So this is something you might do with anyone then? Kaiden? Ashley? Joker?"

"Uh, not exactly." Shepard wouldn't _quite_ make eye contact.

Liara waited for Shepard to elaborate. When she did not, she realized that Shepard was uncomfortable. _'Did she think I was rejecting her?'_ That was the last thing she wanted. Liara caught her breath as she continued her train of thought. _'She's bothered by the idea that I might have been rejecting her!'_ she realized. Although the thought made her happy she wasn't sure what to do about it.

Then she had an idea.

While keeping her eyes on Shepard, Liara reached out and drew her finger through the remains of their dessert. Shepard watched her as she then touched her cheek with her finger, leaving a dollop of whipped cream behind. Once she popped her finger in her mouth to clean off the rest she presented her cheek to the commander. "I did not mean to..., that is, I was not trying to...," She took a deep breath as she started over. "I promise not to pull away this time Shepard."

Shepard swallowed before reaching for the napkin again.

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

Her tacpa sticks were cold, but she wasn't bothered by the fact. The relatively tame taste wasn't overly impacted by their temperature. They were only an appetizer after all, never intended to entice the palate. The finger food was a familiar accompaniment for drinks, hence their popularity at the cafe. Letting them cool was nothing like the tragedy that allowing Denai's dinner to go uneaten would have been. She nibbled at one as she waited for Shepard and Liara to finish their meal. This was taking longer than she thought. She should have instructed Eliata to send updates.

Lysliis and Anedra had imitated Denai by ordering meals more in line with the venue and clientele. The commandos had taken the opportunity to dine in a fashion that would make them the envy of the contingent back at the estate. Shiala didn't condemn the extravagance. The House could afford it, and there had likely been precious few opportunities lately for many of the staff to leave the estate on business. Once the commandos completed their repast, they had left the cafe to assume strategic positions on the other side of Jiirae's from the cafe.

Overall, Shiala approved of both of them, but intended to have a word with Eliata about Anedra. She was a just a touch inattentive, more worried about what the others around her were doing than covering her own area. Nothing to be concerned about in a maiden her age, but certainly a habit that Eliata would want to train out of her.

Having convinced herself that their surroundings were as secure as could be expected, she returned her attention to Denai.

"We still haven't solved anything."

"There isn't anything to solve. We have our roles to perform. Mine is here on Thessia, yours is on Feros at Zhu's Hope."

"You should spend some time discussing defense strategies with Eliata. The protection of the House will be paramount in the days ahead."

Denai turned her head slightly. "That may be presumptive. Liara has not designated a prelacy. Technically Iryra and I are equals, but only 2 members of the house serve Shepard. Iryra is preeminent in Liara's hierarchy, which will number at least hundreds even after all of Benezia's students depart over the next several decades."

"Iryra is a fine administrator, and Liara made an inspired choice by designating her as her lead acolyte. Your more limited administrative duties will allow you to be a free agent. Eliata will be focused on her commandos. You can provide her with a broader perspective."

"She may not appreciate that perspective."

"I will ensure that she will. I don't intend for my obligation to Zhu's Hope preventing me from attending to the needs of the House."

"Take care that you don't alienate Liara with your dedication. She is still very young, but she has a drive that she lacked when she left home. She won't tolerate being sheltered for much longer."

"She's only 106."

"She has ascended to Head of a Great House of Thessia. She's serving on a Human warship where she has grown accustomed to being treated as a peer, not a child. Chief Williams told me that Liara spars with a Krogan battlemaster! Her awkward demeanor is likely residual behavior at this point. As you said, would the Liara we knew take a stand against Tevos?"

"Angering Tevos, like attacking Cylenia, was required to achieve her goals. I doubt such behaviors are her standard practice, even now."

"She's coming into her own Shiala. She's still Benezia's daughter. She will soon be a force to be reckoned with, much earlier than anyone suspected."

Shiala was aware that Denai included her as part of that "anyone", but she was still convinced that Liara was ill prepared to take the reigns of the House without a significant support structure in place. As she would be otherwise engaged at Zhu's Hope, she intended to make sure that support structure existed before she left. Despite her seeming naiveté in regards to Shepard, she knew that Denai was someone she could rely upon. Eliata, Jedis, and Iryra were too young, too new in their positions. Alaya was too dogmatic to be an agent of change, and although Stallura was an impressive ally, her allegiance was to her company more than House T'Soni. Denai would have to be the one to work behind the scenes on Thessia. "That may be, but she isn't there yet. For now, she's still vulnerable, and that means the House is as well."

Denai considered Shiala's position, and the fact that she consistently took the role of protecting Liara. She knew that Benezia's death had hit Shiala hard. Perhaps even harder than Liara, as Shiala had been much closer to the matriarch. She was also the only surviving senior member of the House who had been with Benezia during the last several months of her life. It was only to be expected that Shiala would be concerned about the possibility of additional conflict with Saren Arterius or with other potential adversaries. "Shiala, I will do as you ask. I agree that several of our leadership positions are filled with younger, less experienced individuals than I might prefer. However, I concur with Liara's choices in each case. Know this; I will not support undermining Liara even if the intent is to shelter her from harm."

"That's all that I ask. I would never undermine Liara either."

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

Shiala's omni-tool eventually chimed with a signal from Eliata. Apparently Liara and Shepard's meal had finally concluded, and there only remained the matter of settling the bill. Shiala signaled the server to provide their list of charges. Denai paid the check when it arrived with a wave of her omni-tool.

The pair walked through the crowd, and exited the cafe. Together they walked to a position in the courtyard just over 50 meters from Jiirae's, from which they could wait for the rest of their party to emerge. Given the timing of Eliata's notification, Shiala expected Liara's party to emerge from the restaurant at any moment. She was starting to become mildly annoyed when they finally did emerge nearly 10 minutes later.

The scene that finally greeted Shiala was very much not what she expected. The party looked like nothing so much as a group of college students out for a night on the town. Eliata and Teseka each wore a smile, while Shepard looked more quietly self-satisfied. And Liara... Liara looked like she was twenty years younger, as if the weight of the worlds had been lifted from her shoulders. If the other three looked happy, Liara was practically glowing. She was walking very close to Shepard, practically touching, and she kept looking from Denai and Shiala, and back to Shepard. As they walked, Shepard's stance towards Liara had the possessive bearing Shiala had last seen on the day of Benezia's release.

Eliata and Teseka each hung back as Liara and Shepard walked up to Shiala and Denai. There was no sign of the beseeching manner that Shepard had taken before their dinner.

"Jiirae's was an excellent suggestion Shiala, as was the rarae. Thank you. I hope that we can go there again sometime."

Shiala turned to Liara, and although the question didn't need to be asked, she asked it anyway. "And you Liara? Was the restaurant to your satisfaction?"

Liara blinked at Shiala, as if it took her a moment to process the question. Then she replied with a thoughtful tone to her voice, "It was wonderful, Shiala. Far better than I would have hoped. I cannot thank you enough for the recommendation."

"I had wondered if there had been a problem. It took longer than I expected for you to leave once dinner was over."

"That was my fault..." began Shepard.

"No, I was the cause," finished Liara.

The pair looked at each other and grinned. When no additional answer was forthcoming, Eliata stepped forward to conclude their explanation.

"I apologize, Ma'am. It was the staff. Once they realized that Liara and the commander were not adverse to being approached, several of them asked for images. Neither Liara nor Shepard objected, and it took some time for all the images everyone wanted to be captured. I have retained a copy of each for your review."

Shiala was horrified, but not by the fact that she may or may not have a copy of each image. Jiirae's was a very formal restaurant. She would never have recommended that Liara go there if she felt there was risk of the pair being accosted like celebrities. "I can't believe that was allowed. Why didn't you stop them?"

Eliata looked uncomfortable. "We were the only patrons remaining in the restaurant Ma'am. By the time dessert was finished, there wasn't much point in trying to stand on formality."

Shiala turned sharply to Liara and Shepard as they started laughing. "What did you do?" The laughing only intensified. She turned back to Eliata with an impatient look.

After a sideways glance at Liara to confirm that she was not breaking a confidence, Eliata continued. "They were drawing on each other's faces, Ma'am." Shiala's look turned to one of confusion. "Using the dessert," the commando concluded.

Now Denai started laughing.

Shiala couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Did the images include this... artwork?" She shook her head in despair. The matron certainly hoped not. Such images would certainly undermine Liara's effectiveness if they made it to the press. A quick inspection confirmed that neither of the pair had any of their food remaining on their faces now.

"Um, no Ma'am. Cleaning each other was part of what they were doing. Honestly, I thought it was a Human ritual until they started laughing."

That last brought another snort from Liara, who had finally started to settle down. Breaking decorum, Shiala addressed Shepard without speaking to Liara first. "Are we done then Ma'am, or do we have further activities forthcoming?"

Shepard returned the glare with a smile, looking impossibly young as she did so. "I think it's time to call it a night. We've done all the damage we can here." She turned and winked at Liara.

Shiala shook her head. Of all the possibilities that she had anticipated for this evening, this was exactly none of them. She motioned for the commandos to assume their honor guard positions as the party started walking back to where they had left the cars.

As they resumed the arrangement they taken during the afternoon, Denai fell in beside her.

"It was one dinner, Denai. _One dinner_! How does Shepard do it? Did you see the look on Liara's face?"

"I did, and I'm happy for her. It won't be long now."

Shiala closed her eyes for a moment. She would ride with the commandos, she decided. She needed to hear the full story.

* * *

A/N: Assumptions here include:  
FemShep/Liara (Not yet LI, but everyone knows it but them)  
Later ME1 - after Suspicions and Omissions  
After Noveria, before Virmire

Shepard is:  
Colonist / Vanguard / War Hero

Okay, Chapter 10 was a surprise, but it lead to this, which I did on purpose. For those of you hoping for every last moment that we get to stay on Thessia, the fluffy part is for you! I know I still have to finish this story, an after Virmire one shot, and then finally an Ilos story before our heroines are "official", but I couldn't leave them as unhappy as they were at the end of Chapter 9. I don't think either of their behavior was too early or out of character. Shepard _is_ very impulsive, and Liara didn't _quite_ realize she was flirting. Besides, if they came out of dinner all morose, Denai and Shiala probably would have locked the two of them in a room together.

As always, feedback is welcome and desired.


	12. Chapter 12 - Transition

Denai glanced at her security monitor to check on her passengers. From the tone of their low conversation, it appeared that their mood of quiet contentment was going to continue through the drive back to the estate. This only served to reinforce her assessment of Shepard and her impact on the maiden beside her. Liara had successfully transitioned into the position of ruling House T'Soni, of that there could be no question. From what Denai had seen so far the maiden was more than capable to perform the role she had assumed. Over the course of her short life Liara had proven herself responsible, goal oriented, and able to take care of herself. Now it seemed this relationship she was building with Shepard could allow her to grow in ways she had never been able to before. When Sarah was with her, the anger, the frustration, even the anxiety that Denai had seen in Liara when she was younger were nowhere to be found. Shepard's influence almost seemed to bestow Liara with an enhanced demeanor and presence. During their meetings today Liara had maintained the comportment more associated with a matron, even in the face of antagonistic matriarchs. The two gave so much to each other, drew so much from each other, that despite the gossip amongst the House staff Denai was not surprised that the two hadn't bonded yet. Even Liara must sense the level of intensity this pairing was capable of. The prospect must seem very daunting for a maiden so inexperienced in relationships. Still, Denai could also tell that trepidation wouldn't hold the maiden back much longer.

The status of her charges verified, Denai's mind returned to the conversations of the evening. For all of Shiala's concern, Denai reflected that the standing procedures of the House did not manifest as those of a group operating in a heightened sense of vigilance. For instance, if security were truly an all encompassing imperative, Liara and Shepard wouldn't be allowed to travel in the same vehicle. Additionally, at least one of the commandos should be in the vehicle containing the people they were along to protect.

Denai was also aware that there was little use in pointing this out. The likelihood that Liara and Shepard would tolerate being separated was low. Shepard probably considered herself to be more qualified to protect Liara than the commandos were anyway - and the Alliance vanguard was quite possibly correct in such an assessment. Finally, despite Liara's (and now Shepard's) status, the reality was that these two were combatants in a campaign on behalf of the Citadel Council. Any special protections provided while on Thessia were really only for the sake of appearances. The pair were in much more danger as part of their daily lives than they were likely to be in while spending time at home on the estate.

Denai's eyes drifted from her console back to Shepard. She felt a wave of pride wash over her as she was again reminded that this woman of honor had accepted her oath. Despite the assurances to the contrary that she had provided Shiala, she knew that swearing fealty had been a choice infused with emotion, not logic. It just _felt_ right, in a way that not even giving her oath to Benezia had felt. She couldn't think of a superior way to serve the House, to serve Liara, than to assist Shepard. Whatever Sarah did, whatever choices she made, they would be for the benefit of Liara, and by extension, House T'Soni. Shepard's devotion to Liara radiated like a beacon. It was a light that Denai would give all that she had to ensure was never extinguished.

Unbelievable that she had only been Shepard's acolyte for less than a day. Shepard herself had asked what value Denai could provide. Her answers had been adequate, certainly, but Denai also understood that Shepard had accepted her oath just as much for Liara's sake as for her own. She now knew that needed to be able to contribute well beyond what they had originally discussed. She intended to be far more than Shepard's aide and agent. It was obvious that Shepard would spend very little time on Thessia, therefore her services to Shepard needed to be broader in scope as well.

Shepard was a spectre. That meant that in theory she had the resources of the Council at her command. In reality however, Denail knew that spectres tended to work in a "fire and forget" mode, at least as far as the Council was concerned. They were presented with generalized objectives, and other than being immune from prosecution in Citadel Space, provided very little direction and backing, financial or otherwise. As far as their day to day was concerned, spectres were expected to make their own way. They were paid a reasonable stipend certainly, but they weren't equipped by the Council. Some, like Shepard and Jondum Bau, were high profile operatives, staffed and supported by their respective member races. Some were loners who funded their operations personally through the spoils of war, like it was reputed Tela Vasir and Saren Arterius himself both did.

Shepard's abilities then were limited by the reach and resources of the Systems Alliance. Shepard may not realize it, but that put her at a significant disadvantage on the galactic scene. True, the Salarians shared a significant amount of the intelligence gathered by the STG with the Council, but that data was not typically disseminated in a timely enough manner to be useful to a spectre in theatre. Humanity simply didn't have the connections, contacts, and intelligence assets available yet that the more established races took for granted. Nor did Shepard have the wherewithal to purchase the information she needed from any of the myriads of brokerages available. Information of the type she was likely to need was simply priced too far out of her reach. Fortunately, Denai smiled to herself, Shepard's reach had expanded significantly. She was no longer limited to the resources available to her through the Alliance.

Enhancement of the estate's defenses then would have little impact on the overall safety of the T'Soni patricians, Denai concluded. In addition to working with Eliata and Alaya, she would need to work with key players off Thessia. Most likely, she would have to recruit and place those players herself. Fortunately, the very nature of the Asari lifecycle guaranteed her a large pool of candidates to draw from.

She would discuss her plans with Shiala before the night was over. This should assist in alleviating some of Shiala's apprehension.

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

The estate was visible on the horizon. Their conversation at a momentary pause, Shepard realized that she was perplexed. No, scratch that, she was confused as hell.

Dinner had gone far better than she had hoped. Better than she had dreamed, honestly. But then, any time spent with Liara tended to be time that she enjoyed. This night however, this night was different.

Contrary to the perception created by her cocksure persona, Sarah was similar to Liara in that she'd also had a sheltered youth. Growing up on a remote agricultural colony would do that to a young woman. The difference was, she'd made up for it in spades as a young adult. When Shepard was a boot, when she was a young second lieutenant, she'd built quite the reputation as someone who was always ready for a good time. She'd never been one for drugs, but copious amounts of alcohol had been a regular part of her weekly regimen. She also hadn't been against the occasional hookup, but no relationships. Never any relationships. Mindoir had hardened her against that. She'd found it impossible to allow herself to get close to anyone after she lost her family.

That started to change once Shepard became a first lieutenant. Still not one to allow others to get close to her personally, she focused on her career to the exclusion of almost everything else. Several events converged with her hard work and dedication to nudge her career trajectory into an unequivocally positive arc. Those included her exceptional performance while earning her N7 in Interplanetary Combatives Training as well as her participation in defending Elysium during the Skyllian Blitz. That last put her squarely on the radar of the Alliance brass. The final piece was David Anderson, the captain who recognized her potential and became her mentor, eventually recommending her for spectre candidacy. The captain's backing was the catalyst that ultimately allowed Sarah to be willing to believe that she was good enough. With that support she could finally allow others to care about her again, that she could care in return.

However, just being open to the idea didn't mean that she expected it to actually happen. Not like this anyway.

Originally, Liara had simply been a mission objective, a potential source of information. Perhaps she could even be a tool to wield against Benezia and Saren. Liara quickly transitioned away from being an end result. Shepard was enamored with Liara on sight, and considered Liara to be her ward before they even left Therum. She was someone whose innocence and naiveté elicited Shepard's fierce protective instincts. After integrating her into her crew, Shepard defended Liara with equal vigor against Krogan attacks and Human bigotry. Several successful missions, and more than a few midnight meals later, Liara had come to mean a lot more to Sarah. She had breezed through colleague, to friend, to what? Shepard wasn't even sure what this was had a name, but if it did, she was afraid to say it. Up until now, she was comfortable with being friends, comrades in arms. Certainly Shepard felt an attraction towards the young Asari, but as she continually reminded herself, it was nothing she would ever have acted upon.

Now Sarah wasn't so sure.

Ever since Noveria, something had changed. Not just with her, but with Liara as well. Suddenly they presumed each other's responses. She'd never asked Liara if she wanted Shepard to bring Benezia home to Thessia. It seemed like an obvious choice, it felt like an obvious choice. So she'd just done it, and Liara said nothing to validate nor deny that this had been her wish. Once on Thessia, Liara had invited Sarah into her home, into her _family_, and she'd accepted without a second thought. Honestly, she'd accepted it without a first thought. It was just the natural order of things. She'd stood with Liara at Benezia's release. Liara had in turn integrated her into the command structure of a Great House of Thessia, and her only question had been what words she'd needed to say.

Tonight's dinner with Liara terrified her. Possibilities raced through her mind. Liara's easy acceptance of everything that Sarah did made her fear that she might be taking advantage of the maiden's good nature, not to mention of Liara's obvious feelings for her. On the other hand, was everything she was willing to do for Liara simply out of a sense of obligation? Especially given what she'd done to Benezia? Liara had forgiven her of course, but did she feel indebted to Liara? Did she feel she needed to repay her in some way for causing her mother's death? She hated the chain of events that was making her question her feelings and motives.

If she was truly honest with herself, she liked what was building with Liara. She wanted it. But she needed to be sure it was for the right reasons. She didn't need to pull back, but it was time to stop rushing forward so unreservedly. There had been so many changes to their relationship over such a brief period. It was time to calm down, regroup. Time to allow themselves to catch up and get used to what they now meant to each other. Like many of their interactions on Thessia, dinner had finished by being both remarkably public yet strikingly intimate. Their final, playful display was not that of a couple being ambiguous about their feelings for each other. She took a deep breath. This was definitely in danger of moving too quickly. There was no need to rush. Liara was going to be part of her life, well, forever. Recent events had seen to that. It was also time to make certain that she didn't lose herself in the process. She could afford to give this a little time. Starting tonight she needed to focus on being the Commander for a while, not constantly fixated on if Liara was _the one_.

Denai brought the car in for a gentle touchdown.

Liara turned to her, sleepy eyes over a hopeful smile. "If you aren't too tired Shepard, I thought you could come up to the parlor and we could have some tea."

Sarah closed her eyes for a moment before replying with a matching smile. "I'd love to."

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

The day was finally drawing to a close. The estate was no longer humming with activity. Liara and Shepard had successfully been handed off to the household staff, and were heading upstairs. The honor guard had gone off to join the rest of the T'Soni commandos garrisoned at the estate. Eliata would no doubt be debriefing her team, with particular focus on maintaining decorum when in the field. Denai had a small smile at the thought of how tonight's dinner would be used as a negative example of proper public behavior.

Denai watched with Shiala as two of the household staff escorted Liara and Shepard to the upper level, while another departed towards the kitchen, likely to fulfill a request from the patricians.

Shiala followed her gaze. "Not tonight, I think."

"No, definitely not. Soon though."

Shiala shook her head. "Liara's still too timid, too inexperienced. It will take a while for Shepard to break through that reserve."

As the two walked slowly towards the staff wing, Denai considered that Shiala's blind spot about Liara was larger than she realized. Asari were well known for being able to see a romance from quite a distance, even one that was still in an impending state. This one was so obvious to her that she was amazed at the degree of Shiala's denial. On the other hand, she reflected, the pair's current status must have confused the majority of the Asari they met with today. Liara was displaying a relationship space seldom occupied by an Asari maiden, demonstrating all the right behaviors but giving off all of the wrong signals.

She corrected her colleague. "Shepard is far too careful with Liara. She sees herself as protector first and foremost. Liara will be the one to initiate."

"Liara will be the one to initiate? A romantic relationship? With a Human spectre? While on a mission for the Council?" Shiala ran out of points to make to express her disbelief.

"You've been watching them for the same three days that I have. You may find it unlikely given her past, but you can see what is coming as well as I."

Shiala deigned a response as they continued to walk.

Denai paused as the pair reached the junction towards offices for the senior staff. She called out to Shiala. "Do you have a moment? I would like your thoughts in regards to a theory that I have."

Shiala paused, "What kind of theory?"

"I believe I know how we can support Liara and Shepard, while not interfering in their work."

Shiala followed Denai to her office. "We're already doing that. Liara has provided guidance to be followed for direction and defense of the House."

Denai motioned to Shiala to make herself comfortable on the couch. "And we shall follow it. I'm speaking about supporting Liara and Shepard specifically, not the House in general."

"Supporting the House supports them, like supporting them supports the House."

Denai had continued on to the cabinet behind her desk. From behind a glass door she removed a decanter of brandy and two glasses. She turned to Shiala with an inquisitive look. Shiala shook her head. Denai gave her a smirk as she proceed to pour a portion into each glass anyway. "I'm not referring to platitudes Shiala. I believe that we can actually support them both as they work to complete this mission of Shepard's, and then assist with their other objectives as they are identified." Denai handed Shiala her brandy before joining her on the couch.

"You're planning to assign commandos to them while they're off planet?"

"Nothing so overt, nor narrow in focus." Denai paused for a moment. "Before Benezia's release, when was the last time you saw Liara?"

"On Feros, when Shepard, Liara, and the Turian fought the Thorian."

"And the last time before that?"

"Three years ago. Liara was in Serrice, seeking sponsorship for an expedition to Edolus to investigate a report of Prothean ruins there. Her petition was turned down, and I took her to lunch to allow her to talk about it. She was very upset. It took most of the afternoon, but I was able to encourage her, and convince her to try again."

"So when you saw her on Feros, you were surprised?"

"No..."

"And why not?" Denai was about to make her case.

"I knew that Liara was on the Normandy. It was a possibility that had arisen when the Council singled her out as a path to Benezia. I'd already heard of her making planetfall with Normandy crewmembers over the course of the several weeks prior."

"That's remarkably specific information to have, considering the chain of events to her arriving on Feros was unplanned."

Shiala paused as she tried to discern what path she was being led down "...I was receiving updates regarding her location and status."

Denai cocked her head. "So you knew when to expect her?"

"Nothing so precise. I would receive information at irregular intervals, depending on what kind of information and who was relaying it. Also, I was joined with the Thorian for just under 11 days before Shepard and her crew arrived. I have no knowledge of the passage of time during that period. I did know that Feros was one of the likely destinations for the Normandy, that Shepard was in command, and that Liara was with her."

This was everything Denai had hoped for. "Your operative network must be fairly extensive."

"Not so much as you might think. Mostly maidens, current and former commandos that were attached to House T'Soni during my captaincy. Our Liara notwithstanding, maidens do what maidens do. Many of them have made it to the Citadel, and others to various locales where a wealth of information can be revealed by the right question at the right time."

"So you attribute luck as to why you were able to track Liara so closely?"

"I did have one specific advantage." Shiala hesitated at what she was about to reveal. She remembered that the matron next to her had sworn fealty to Commander Shepard, someone whose security she had breached. Too late for regrets now. "I have an operative aboard the Normandy."

"You WHAT?" Denai was astonished at the audacity of the woman, while being pleased on one level as well. Shiala was not going to be difficult to convince of her plan. She was halfway there already.

"One of the complement of the Normandy, a Crewman Tucks, is the bondmate of Caliyma Kejin. They're almost painfully close. He keeps her well informed of his mission status. He was positively thrilled that she knew who Liara was, even though Caliyma left the House while she was still a maiden, well before Liara was born. Getting additional detail about Liara's participation in the Normandy's mission was as easy as asking for it. Caliyma is expecting their first child soon, and I'm planning on giving them quite the extravagant life gift for all they've done for me."

Every so often there was a public outcry for the Conclave to try to guide the activities of their maiden population. The galactic perception of the Asari maiden as a dancer or waitress, useful as a sex object and little else, was something many matrons wished to downplay. This was especially true because most of those selfsame maidens were their daughters. The matriarchs rarely took action because they were more focused on the benefits of having billions of maidens working as mercenaries or dancing in clubs. Maidens were _everywhere_. Due to the common public perception, they were easily overlooked and often underestimated. Many secrets were disclosed in bars within earshot of these unsuspected individuals. When these maidens became matrons, they tended to maintain the contacts they had made during their restless years. It was part of why the Asari were so heavily entangled in galactic affairs. Denai remembered her days as a maiden. It was a time in her life filled with excitement, but that also included more than a few events that she would now consider distasteful or embarrassing. Knowing that Shiala had taken similar steps as she as about to propose, Denai hoped Shiala would only consider her plan to be an increase in scale.

"That's similar to what I plan to do. I am going to work with Eliata to provide Shepard with the benefits she should have as a patrician of a Great House of Thessia. I plan to remove the handicap she endures by being Human."

Shiala's look turned quizzical. "What handicap is that?"

"Shepard is information starved. Look at how she's forced to operate. She scurries from system to system, planet to planet. Humanity doesn't have the inroads to information that we have. You said yourself, 'a wealth of information can be revealed by the right question at the right time'. She can't ask that question."

Denai waited for Shiala to follow her chain of thought before continuing, "But we can."

"So you plan to reach out to the maidens that have ties to the House?"

"Maidens, matrons, everyone has or has had a tie to us. Even the matrons who have remained with the House have children who didn't. They are also candidates of opportunity. I suspect a network numbering in the tens of thousands could easily be reached."

"Hundreds of thousands, most likely," Shiala murmured.

"You judge?"

"This is a dangerous path to start down Denai. If House T'Soni becomes known as a den of espionage, we place all of our maidens at risk."

"All I want is for those of ours to keep their eyes open. I'm not proposing that we be intrusive. I intend to leverage our numbers, nothing more."

"And you would provide the information so collected to Shepard? That may not be prudent. Her sense of honor is... well developed. She would not accept intelligence, even good intelligence, if she thought that there was possibility that the collection of such would place members of the family in harm's way. No matter how careful you are, you cannot eliminate that risk entirely. If you tell her your plan, I can guarantee that she'll forbid it."

Denai considered everything she had learned about Sarah and then lowered her head. "You're probably right."

Shiala turned her attention to her brandy, neglected all this time. She tossed it back, swallowing it all in one gulp. "You'll need to give it to Liara."

* * *

A/N: Assumptions here include:  
FemShep/Liara (Not yet LI, but we're pretty much counting the minutes at this point)  
Later ME1 - after Suspicions and Omissions  
After Noveria, before Virmire

Shepard is:  
Colonist / Vanguard / War Hero

Denai's potential role continues to expand. I like her more and more with each chapter. I hope I can find a way for her to survive.

I know I've been promising the end of this story since Chapter 6, and I've failed all of you again. There is at least one more chapter coming (obviously).

On the other hand, as opposed to just letting this whole series of stories continue to free flow, I have started notes on the next 3 stories:

"Discovery" - a post Virmire one shot.

"Connections" - pre / post Ilos short - 2 or 3 chapters. We all know what happens there.

"Fragments" - Normandy destruction and aftermath - at least "Obligations" length, possibly as much as 2x "Obligations".

Of course "Fragments" is what I have the most ideas for, and I'm a minimum of 4 chapters away from it.

As always, feedback is welcome and desired. If anyone has something they'd like to see or not see, feel free to sing out. I won't do anything that conflicts with my story arc, but I'll be more than happy to tell you why or why not...


	13. Chapter 13 - Directions

Liara paused just inside the vestibule, and caught the attention of Tarilya, one of the attendants waiting there. She gave the maiden brief instructions that she and the commander were to be served tea in the private parlor, with coffee as well if it was available. Tarilya brought her hands together and gave Liara a nod of understanding before gliding off to the kitchen to relay the request. Satisfied that her wishes were being carried out, Liara continued to the main staircase and started to ascend to the second level.

Even without looking back, she was conscious of Shiala and Denai's eyes upon her as she proceeded up the stairs. She was very much aware of what they were thinking, and would most likely be talking about once she and Shepard were out of sight. Admittedly, she had no one to blame but herself. Even if Asari weren't so renowned for their ability to perceive relationships (particularly those that included other Asari), her behavior this night provided a great deal of incentive to reach a particular conclusion as far as she and Shepard were concerned. She sighed as she neared the top of the stairs and Sarah glanced at her with a quick look of worry. Although Liara didn't look back in her direction, she was almost painfully aware of the commander at her side as they started down the corridor towards their respective bedchambers.

While they walked, she again ran the events at Jirae's through her mind.

She'd had no high hopes for their dinner together, but even if she'd had, nothing could have prepared her for the reality. She had always been fascinated with Shepard. Much of her incentive to work so hard to be a member of the spectre's squad had been to allow her to spend more time with the commander. As their friendship had grown, so had her desire to linger in the human's vicinity. Even without the exposure to the human's mind provided by assisting the commander with the Prothean beacon, she felt she was getting to know Shepard as well as could possibly be expected given their length of time together. Nonetheless, neither their plethora of late night dinners, nor the myriad of discussions held in her lab had exposed her to the side of Sarah that she had seen tonight. Sarah had been concerned about her obviously, insisting that they go to dinner over her initial opposition. Later, when their discussion had turned somber, Shepard had refused to accept it. Instead, she worked to cheer and comfort her. After dinner though, Liara had seen something she'd never seen before in the human - playfulness. She had seen Shepard competitive in the past, but never playful. It had been glorious.

Now that she had seen that aspect of Sarah's personality, she wanted to see more of it. Her earlier realization that she had come to depend on the human for so many things was nothing compared to how much she now simply desired more of the woman's company. The idea that Sarah might feel similarly was almost too good to be true. She desparately hoped that she was interpreting Sarah's behaviors correctly. She put her hand to her face as they walked, remembering Sarah's touch. Each point was burned into her memory as if she could still feel Sarah's fingers on her skin. When she had lightly dotted Sarah's face in return, the warmth of the spectre's face under her fingers was like the sensation of sunshine on a summer's day. The way their interaction had escalated had bought her an undeniable happiness that she couldn't remember having felt since she was a child. It was as if all of her anxieties, all of her discomfort during her younger self's efforts to make connections with others had never happened.

Still, she had to make sure this feeling wasn't one sided, that she wasn't the only one who was elated by what seemed to be building between them. The last thing she wanted was for Shepard to commit to her because she felt she had to. Shepard had done so much. Liara wanted to be able to do as much for Shepard as Shepard had done for her.

They had reached her chambers. "I will be out shortly Shepard, I would like to change out of this dress. See you in a few minutes?"

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

Shepard was relieved that she wasn't going to have to talk herself out of having an audience while she changed. Both of the household staff who had followed her and Liara up the stairs had turned and accompanied the maiden into her chambers. Shepard continued down the corridor. She passed the breakfast lounge where they had eaten with Councilor Tevos that morning before arriving at her bedroom. Like Liara, her intention was to shed the elegant Asari style dress that she had worn during their outing that day. Her initial plan to simply change into her customary sleepwear of a tank top and cotton pants was temporarily sidetracked when she entered her room. The staff had already laid out an ensemble similar to what she woke up in that morning. This time the pervasive color was a light rose, with a chocolate brown trim.

She considered for a moment, and considered her options. She knew that Liara appreciated it when she would dress in the manner customary of her new role in the House. Still, although last night's outfit had been comfortable, it simply wasn't her style. She left it on the bed as she went to the closet to gather her typical clothes before heading to the bathroom to freshen up.

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

Liara was nearly finished with her first cup of tea. Despite her erstwhile custom of living in isolation, she admitted that returning to the estate did come with certain benefits. She now understood more fully how the assistance of such a large and able staff was an integral part of how Benezia had been able to achieve so much. Even something as simple as preparing to retire for the evening went at a much faster pace when there were others assisting you with every step.

Despite the assistance she had received, she had still been surprised that she had arrived in the parlor ahead of Shepard. The spectre was always been the first one to suit up for their engagements, and unless a squadmate needed to be attended to, the first to the showers after action. Granted, her self care routine was that of a career soldier, not one that required long hours of preparation for transitions between activities. Shepard could get into her armor almost faster than Liara could dress herself in one of her science jumpsuits.

Liara reflected for a moment that it was almost 6 days since she had seen Shepard in her armor. 6 days without seeing Shepard sporting the "N7" insignia that Liara had come to believe was a part of the commander's identity. Now she knew that Shepard didn't need to wear it, any more than she needed to wear her Alliance uniform. She preferred to wear them, but for Shepard, being an N7 was like being a commander in the Alliance navy. It was who she was, not something the put on or took off. When watching the commander interact with Matriarch Stallura, the stately dress that Shepard had worn in no way impacted Liara's perception that the Human was born to command.

The parlor chairs were facing the windows looking out onto the ocean, leaving Liara with her back to the common area that the room opened onto. When she heard footsteps coming up from behind, the weight and cadence of the stride indicated that Shepard had finally joined her. Liara took a sharp breath when she looked up as Shepard strode past her. Shepard looked magnificent. Like this morning, Shepard was wearing an elegant nightgown under a matching _hi'daa_ robe. Unlike this morning, she had gone so far as to tie her sash in the ceremonial knot, matching Liara's own. That alone could explain the commander's delay. Liara herself wouldn't have made the effort to wear the knot without attendants to assist her. The spectre's slightly damp hair told Liara that she had showered as well, even if the maiden hadn't been able to smell the scent of Loria's Cradle on her.

Shepard walked over to the coffee service, where she stared down the maiden who tried to assist her. After pouring her own coffee (no cream, far too much sugar), she settled into her own chair, with just the chairside table between her and Liara.

Liara drew a breath to comment on the commander's appearance, but when Shepard turned to the maiden, she raised one eyebrow that caused Liara's comment to die on her lips. _'Never mind,'_ thought Liara. _'We both know why she did this. If you remark on it she will only become self conscious. Just appreciate it for what it is.'_ Liara bit her lip as her eyes strayed to Shepard's hair and she calmed herself before trying to start again.

After looking out the windows for a while, Liara finally turned back to Shepard, "Thank you for everything."

Shepard's gaze remained on the windows. "You don't need to thank me Liara."

_'My taciturn knight returns,'_ thought Liara. "Of course I do, you have done so much for me. I did enjoy dinner, even if it meant you putting your affectation of a detached persona at risk."

That brought a hint of a smile to the spectre's lips. "I have to say, it was nothing like I had planned."

They sat in silence for a few minutes during which Liara signaled for more tea. After a sip, she continued. "You must be looking forward to returning to the Normandy."

"I'm glad that I came Liara, but it is time to get back to the mission. Saren has to be stopped."

"You will defeat him Shepard, I know you will."

"It isn't just me. It's a good team. If we can catch him on Virmire we just might be able to end this."

"Do not forget, there are others you can call upon now. Benezia never had a comm system with interstellar capabilities installed at the estate. She always intended the estate to be a refuge, and she made it a point to not perform any of her government work while she was here. I have already made plans to have one installed in your offices. When you are in residence, you will still be available to the Council for any of their needs, and when you are off planet, you will have access to your staff here. Unless you would rather have your official offices in Armali? I am sure that we can allocate space in Mosoth if that is your preference."

"We already discussed this. I only agreed to Denai, and I understand the requirement for Teseka. Otherwise, I don't see the need for a 'staff'."

Liara stared into her tea for a moment, contemplating that she needed to be careful here. "Shepard, even if you restrict yourself to a ceremonial role in the House, which is absolutely all right, there are still duties to be borne, and obligations to be fulfilled. Those will fall to Denai. Even assuming that she remains your only sworn acolyte, she will need to command a rather large staff to meet those requirements. That is of course in addition to fulfilling any requests that you might make of her."

"I didn't plan to make any."

"Which means that she will address your needs as she sees and defines them." Liara smiled, "I can assure you that left to her own devices, she will interpret her role as much larger in scope than what you might imagine."

Shepard sighed. When she continued she had an exasperated edge to her tone. "I like Denai. If she wants to keep herself busy in my name, I won't stop her. That's all it will be though. I've been self sufficient for a long time. Arranging meetings and coordinating transportation is fine. If she needs a staff to meet other requirements, then that's for the needs of the House, not for me. I don't mean to any disrespect for Asari customs, but I don't need an entourage."

Liara tried not to let her frustration show. Her mother had achieved greatness at the top of a pyramid encompassing the efforts of hundreds of thousands. "Shepard, we are not talking about an entourage. Your role as a vanguard makes you the tip of the Alliance's spear, but that spear is not their only resource. No one thinks that you are not imminently capable, but everyone has necessary roles, not just you. You did not build the Normandy. There were tens of thousands of Humans and Turians who came together to create the ship that makes your mission possible. It took the work of four maidens just for you to enjoy that cup of coffee, not including the attendant that you refused to let pour it. Please do not marginalize the contribution of the many."

Liara had rarely seen the commander angry, and when she saw the flash of anger in Shepard's eyes, she recoiled. She had never before been the target of that look.

Shepard put her coffee cup down and rose from her chair. "Goodnight Liara."

The spectre strode from the room.

Liara watched her go, resisting the urge to follow. Her deep breathing helped keep her calm, as did the knowledge that this was not a wholly unforeseen result of the conversation that had just gone unfinished. The possibility that Shepard might yet reject her new role in the House, might reject her, had been her only concern. The fact that Shepard still resisted reasonable attempts at support and assistance was not surprising. The spectre simply refused to allow herself to rely on others as far as her needs were concerned. This response had not been unexpected. Liara found it unacceptable, yes, but not unexpected. There had to be a solution, a way to overcome the commander's obstinacy, but one escaped her at the moment.

Liara closed her eyes as she exhaled heavily. Shepard _had_ looked amazing.

"Do not marginalize the contribution of the many?" Alaya's voice carried from the entryway.

"Now is not the time, Seneschal." Liara opened her eyes, but didn't turn.

"That phrase didn't work the last time I heard it either. As I recall, a certain maiden responded shortly thereafter by leaving home for nearly sixty years."

"Shepard is more mature than I was then."

"But not more mature than you are now?"

"I have the advantage of having learned that lesson."

"Let us hope that it doesn't take Shepard sixty years to match your insight."

Liara turned for that statement, allowing the anger to show in her own eyes. "Take care Alaya. Do not question Shepard in my presence."

"That wasn't a question Peeress, merely a statement. She may be all that you claim, but you're pushing too hard. It might be too much for her, at least so soon."

That was enough to make Liara laugh. "Too much for her? Seneschal, do you know how Shepard targets Geth in combat? She does so by running out into the open and seeing which direction the shield impacts come from. I am here before you today because she was willing to use a mining laser at close range to liberate me from a Prothean security device, and then fought for my continued freedom against a Krogan battlemaster - all before she even knew if she could trust me. I do not know what might be 'too much' for Shepard, but I hope to never see it."

"Then how do you explain..." Alaya tilted her head in the direction the spectre had gone.

"It is not my place."

"You're her family. _We're_ her family. From what I understand, we're her _only_ family."

Liara blinked. "How do you know this?"

"I have my sources too you know. Even if I didn't, information about Shepard is rather easy to come by on Thessia these days."

"So you know about Mindoir."

"Human colony, hit by slavers thirteen years or so ago. Shepard's parents and extended family were killed."

"And Shepard survived."

"Obviously, as I brought her breakfast this morning. Do you believe she has survivor guilt?"

"I do not know Human psychiatry well enough to make such a determination, but I do not think so. I have melded with her twice, and I did not sense the depression that I would expect if that were the case. I do not believe she feels guilt for her survival. I do believe she feels that not doing more to protect her family during the attack on Mindoir was a failure on her part. She refuses let it happen again. That rejection of failure is what drove her at Elysium, what earned her the command of the Normandy, earned her spectre status, and even what saved my life. While she has no issue rallying assistance for a cause, she seems to see accepting help for herself as a failure."

"I finally understand what the two of you have in common. Why you both work so hard to achieve so much."

"I suspect that I will not like your opinion."

"Probably not, little one."

"Do not call me that. What is this theory of yours about what Shepard and I have in common?"

"Perhaps Shiala should be the one having this conversation with you."

"Enough! You try my patience Seneschal!"

Alaya left her position in the entryway, and walked over to seat herself where Shepard had been sitting. Liara was on the verge of losing her restraint when Alaya met her gaze. "Fear."

Liara made a derisive noise. "Shepard fears nothing."

"How many papers have you published?"

"What?"

"How many papers have you published? How old were you when you were awarded your doctorate? How many excavation sites have you gone to alone when you couldn't raise funding for an official expedition?"

Liara shook her head. "I fail to see..."

"You're afraid of failure Liara, it motivates you. So is she. How else could you explain how driven she is? How driven you both are?"

"You go too far Seneschal, Shepard is not..."

Alaya interrupted again. "I suspect you're still trying to make Benezia proud of you. Hopefully Shepard is not seeking the same parental validation."

Liara sat back. Benezia _had_ been proud of her. She had finally said so, at the end. Even before then Liara knew. Well, she thought she knew. She opened her mouth to say... something. Nothing came out. She started again, with the same result. After a moment she closed her mouth.

Her point made, Alaya stood. She motioned for the attendant to follow her when she turned to leave the room. After an affirming nod from Liara, the maiden did so.

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

Shepard was pacing.

She hadn't intended on walking out on Liara like that, but she wasn't going to be steamrolled into having a retinue following her through her life! She was her own woman, she would make her own way. She always had, and that attitude had served her well. She had every intention of being everything that Liara needed her to be, but it was going to be on her terms. Even Denai was helpful, but she had no intention of letting the pair of Asari roadmap her life while she watched from the sidelines.

She was still envisioning possible responses she should have given to Liara when her interior monologue was interrupted by a gentle knock at the door.

Shepard fully intended to ignore it, but the door opened anyway, revealing Liara holding a tray containing the remnants of their tea service.

The maiden glided across the room, placing the tray on the writing table. She proceeded to pour a cup tea for herself. When she started on coffee for Shepard, the commander was immediately at her side. Unlike earlier, Liara did not release her position, and handed the cup of coffee to Shepard only after she was done preparing it.

Shepard offered Liara nothing, just waited for the maiden's next move.

After sipping her tea for a moment, Liara broke the silence. "I was not yet finished having tea."

Shepard took a breath. "I'm sorry Liara, I shouldn't have stormed out like that."

One corner of Liara's mouth turned up at that. "That was hardly a 'storm' Shepard, I have seen you 'storm'. That was a mild tempest at best. It is I who need to apologize to you. I had no right to insist that you accept a role in the House beyond what you were willing to tolerate."

"It isn't a matter of tolerance, Liara. I don't tolerate my role in your House, I cherish it."

"Our House."

"I'm still getting used to that too. Just give me time. Once we're back on the Normandy things will be back to normal. I'll be better able to process all this."

"About that Shepard..."

Shepard's stomach dropped to the floor. She had been afraid that once Liara was home, she wouldn't want to head back out into combat. Not that she could blame her, but to hear the words would just be too much. She had meant every word when she told Shiala that she couldn't imagine the Normandy without Liara. "Liara, I..."

Liara looked up sharply, confused by the shakiness she heard in Shepard's voice. "Denai and Iryra are going to be in contact with us fairly regularly. They will be able to handle everything on Thessia of course, but they are going to want to keep us informed, and provide us opportunities for input. I wanted you to know that I will assist you with Denai all that I can. I do not want your role in the House to become burdensome."

Shepard was practically lightheaded, she was so relieved to have misconstrued Liara's intent. "That's... fine. Thanks Liara. Make sure they have their own priority comm codes, if you haven't already."

"I was just waiting for your permission."

"You have it. Also, make sure they never transmit anything in the clear, unless you want Joker reading our mail."

Liara reveled in the fact that the tension between them was dissipating. "Well, we certainly cannot have that."

"He's both the best pilot and the worst gossip in the fleet."

"It will be good to see him tomorrow."

"Tomorrow. God yes. It's going to be an early day tomorrow. At least it will be a short day once we're onboard. I could check my omni-tool to be sure, but I think that it will be early afternoon on the Normandy for our scheduled departure."

"You could start running the ship on Galactic Standard instead of Greenwich. The departure tomorrow would be even later."

Shepard chuckled. "I doubt I could get the rest of the Alliance to agree, and I'd rather not be getting calls from admirals in the middle of my sleep cycle." She yawned. "Speaking of the middle of my night, I need to go to bed in a few minutes."

"A few minutes?" Liara was puzzled. "Please do not wait on my account. I do not mean to keep you Shepard, I wish you good night."

"It wasn't you Liara," Shepard had an embarrassed look, "It will take me a little while to untie my sash."

"I can get that for you..." Liara reached for the elaborate knot.

Shepard turned away. "I can do it."

Liara boldly grasped the spectre's elbow and turned Shepard back to face her.

The maiden's tone was firm, but her eyes were sparkling. "Shepard. Let me help."

"OK."

* * *

A/N: Assumptions here include:  
FemShep/Liara (Not yet LI, and it seems we swerved a little)  
Later ME1 - after Suspicions and Omissions  
After Noveria, before Virmire

Shepard is:  
Colonist / Vanguard / War Hero

Almost done here. One more chapter - and for sure this time, as it is already written.

To be followed by:

"Discovery" - a post Virmire one shot.

"Connections" - pre / post Ilos short - 2 or 3 chapters. We all know what happens there.

"Fragments" - Picking up the end of ME1, and through ME2.

As always, feedback is welcome and desired.


	14. Chapter 14 - Departure

Parnitha was not yet above the horizon when Shepard stepped out of the shower. The zenith was still dark, and the first of the morning twilight was not visible from her western facing windows. She'd needed no alarm this morning. Even with the length of the Thessian day working against her, she had been unable to sleep in. This day held too much promise. She looked forward to returning to the Normandy, to resuming the chase for Saren. The rogue spectre was about to regain his place on the top of her priority list.

Hair dry and wrapped in a towel, she stepped back into her room. She sighed when she realized that some of the ever-helpful staff had already been in her suite while she was showering. The bed had been made, and the tea service from the night before was nowhere to be seen. The next difference she noticed was that that her uniform had been carefully laid out for her. Finally, she saw that not only had her bag been packed, but there were three additional bags arranged next to it. The new luggage was large and ornate, and dwarfed her kit in comparison. She rolled her eyes. Obviously no one had been informed of the space constraints she faced aboard the Normandy. She chuckled as she walked over to examine the new additions. Even if room weren't an issue, she could only imagine the ribbing she would receive from the human crew, commander or no, if she came on board with a mountain of baggage fit for a princess. She checked the bags to verify that her kit contained everything she had brought from the Normandy. A brief inspection confirmed her suspicions that the new luggage contained a not insignificant subset of the contents of her closet, in addition to other items.

Once dressed, she checked the breakfast lounge off her chambers for activity. She hadn't heard anyone, but she wanted to make certain that neither Liara nor anyone else might be waiting for her. The lounge was as empty as it was silent. She walked through it on her way to the main staircase as she embarked on a search for coffee.

Despite the evidence of earlier activity, Shepard encountered few individuals on her way to the first floor. None seemed tasked with intercepting her, so she merely returned the occasional greeting of "Good morning, Peeress" as she continued her quest. She crossed the main foyer on her way to where she had dined with Shiala. She passed through the dining room they had shared on her first evening in the residence, and she entered the hallway the staff had used when serving them that evening.

She hadn't proceeded much further before her selected course was validated. Both the smells of cooking and the murmur of conversation guided her to a large room that contained the kitchen, as well as what appeared to be the staff dining area.

Shiala, Denai, and a handful of other Asari were seated at one of the tables when she entered the room. Shepard recognized one as Iryra, whom had been pointed out to her on the day of Benezia's release, but whom she had never been introduced to. The others were unknown to her. Silence fell across the group as Shepard took a few steps towards them. One of the staff, a maiden, tried to move to her feet at Shepard's arrival, but was waved back to her position by Denai. With an anxious look, the maiden reluctantly retook her seat.

"Good morning Commander," Denai addressed Shepard over her cup of kaffe.

"Good morning Denai." She paused as she surveyed the room. There were several Asari scattered amongst the various tables, but she wouldn't expect any of them to have an inclination for her beverage of choice. "It is too much to hope for that there's coffee around?"

Denai put her arm out again when the same maiden tried to get up. "There is coffee Commander." She indicated in the direction of the kitchen. "The service carafes on the left are all hot beverages. Be careful, as the surface conceals a heating element. Coffee is in the red carafe. Cups, saucers, and other serviceware are just beyond. Sugar is already on the table."

Shepard continued on into the kitchen while Denai locked eyes with the agitated maiden. Shiala hid a smile at the battle of wills between Denai and Jirtea, the maiden assigned with Shepard's service that morning. She understood what Denai was doing, even though she didn't agree with it. Shepard would likely appreciate being left to her own devices, but it wouldn't help her become more open minded as far as household duties were concerned.

Shepard returned, having fulfilled her objective. Jirtea cringed as Shepard grabbed the empty seat between her and Denai, and sat down. Without a word, Denai pushed the container of sugar in the spectre's general direction, but neither handed it to her, nor moved it so close that Shepard didn't need to make an effort to reach for it. Once it was in her possession, Shepard peeled back the flexible cover, and starting scooping sugar into her coffee. Jirtea winced with each spoonful. Shepard seemed oblivious to the fact that her companions were sitting in a slightly uncomfortable silence. No established protocol included this set of circumstances, the possibility of a member of the family dining with the staff, and House T'Soni was all about protocol.

Only when the coffee was appropriately sweetened and she had taken her first long sip did Shepard look around the table.

"The residence seems quiet this morning."

Shiala answered for the group. "Liara has been meeting with many of the senior staff, giving instructions before her departure."

"Liara's awake?" Shepard was mildly surprised. She had heard nothing upstairs this morning.

"For some time Commander," Shiala continued. "She has already been served breakfast, and she has Eliata with her in her office as we speak. Liara is meeting with her to discuss the status of the contingent, and also confirming her promotion to her new role as captain of the House guard. Alaya is present to witness Eliata's oath."

The commander seemed almost petulant. "I could have done that."

Denai responded. "Liara thought it more important to let you sleep." _'Even though she knows you would never allow an opportunity to do something for her to pass,'_ she thought.

"I'll be fine. We talked about that last night, it's going to be a short day for both of us. Time on the Normandy will be almost 7 hours ahead of Armali by the time we take off." Shepard paused as she looked around the table, "Don't any of you need to meet with Liara?"

Denai chuckled. "Iryra already has. She was Liara's first meeting of the day. Iryra, Commander Shepard. Commander Shepard, Iryra. Shepard, you've seen Iryra even though you haven't been introduced. She's Liara's lead acolyte."

Iryra stood, and brought her hands together as she made a shallow bow in Shepard's direction. "It is an honor to meet you Peeress."

Shepard looked over at Iryra with what she hoped was a friendly expression. Iryra was a deep royal blue, with more facial tattoos than any of the other Asari at the table. "Nice to meet you Iryra." Iryra nodded her head in acknowledgment and sat back down.

No additional explanation seemed forthcoming, so Shepard continued "That's all?" She looked at Denai and Shiala specifically, "No one else has to meet with Liara?"

Denai grinned at Shepard. "Shiala leaves this evening to return to Feros, she's done everything she came here to do." She finished her kaffe for effect, "And I report to you." She paused again. "Did you need something?"

Shepard met Denai's gaze, wondering if she was being challenged. The matron's body was relaxed, and there seemed to be nothing in her facial expression but legitimate curiosity. _'I did ask for them to stop doting on me. I'd be kind of an ass if I'm upset that they did.'_ She pushed away from the table. "All I need right now is a warmup on this coffee." She started in the direction of the kitchen.

"Commander!" Denai called out.

Shepard turned, "Yes?"

"I'm empty too. Refill? Any of the white carafes." Denai didn't turn around, but held her mug up over her head.

Shepard paused. "Sure." She took the offered mug before resuming her journey to the kitchen.

Shiala just shook her head. Iryra, Jirtea, and the remaining three maidens all looked at Denai incredulously. Jirtea's eyes in particular were so wide that it appeared she might never blink again.

Denai just looked blandly back at them all. "What? Did any of you need some too?"

Jirtea looked like she was ready to cry.

Denai sighed. "Oh go ahead. Shepard's probably hungry too. Just don't do anything for her that it looks like she wants to do herself."

The maiden bolted from the table.

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

Liara was feeling rushed. There were so many details to attend to! Despite her admonition to Shepard about allowing others to assist, the spectre had far more experience at delegating than she did. She needed to learn to trust her staff well enough to not continually follow up. Iryra would help with that, she was certain. She would have to, after all.

She had provided final instructions for all of her department heads. There was almost nothing left that could be done in the scant time she had remaining. In any rate, it would take many months to get up to speed on all of the intricacies of managing a Great House. She would have to content herself with continuing her work from the Normandy. It was time to leave Benezia's office - no _her_ office - to say her remaining goodbyes before joining Shepard. She closed her eyes for a moment to shut out the room. It still felt surreal to her to be the one sitting behind the desk. From the tone of the meetings she'd had this morning, she had seemed to be the only one with difficulty adjusting.

This surprised her less than it might have after going through her mother's records. Benezia had been working closely with Saren for over a decade, with her absences from the estate during that time becoming longer and more frequent. It was the proficiency of the administrators selected by her mother that had allowed the House to continue to flourish even during her mother's inattention to T'Soni affairs. Those administrators seemed more than happy to have a T'Soni hand involved in the interests of the House again, even an inexperienced one such as hers. For not the first time, she vowed to do better by her people than her mother had at the end.

Her contemplation was interrupted by a soft beep. The last of the data she needed was copied. She slipped the final OSD into a pocket, collected the datapad she had been making notes on, and strode out of the office. Alaya followed in a watchful silence.

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

Shepard was already at the entryway of the residence by the time Liara had finished saying goodbyes. She appeared to have been there for at least a small amount of time, but was talking quietly with Denai while Iryra and Shiala looked on. The commander turned her way once Liara drew close. The spectre seemed in good spirits, and appeared neither hurried nor impatient, just attentive. She nodded to the maiden, signaling her readiness to depart. Liara nodded in return. She had done all she could here, it was time to get back to the Normandy.

Shepard bent over and picked up her kit, slinging the strap over her shoulder. After she did so, three members of the staff rushed to collect her remaining bags, one of them having to reseal the bag before picking it up.

"You can take those back to my bedroom," said Shepard not unkindly when the trio turned to her expectantly. "I appreciate the gesture, but there isn't room for that many personal effects on a warship. I have everything I'll need right here." She patted the bag hanging against her hip.

She turned to Liara expectantly.

Liara had also collected her bag that Shepard had brought for her from the Normandy, but unlike Shepard, she had planned to allow the rest of her luggage to accompany her.

She looked crestfallen as her eyes appraised the bags held by the staff who were circled around her. "The commander is correct, of course. Please return these items to my chambers. Where we are going, we will need to travel light." She sighed as she stepped over to join Shepard.

Shepard nodded approvingly before turning and starting towards the skycar with Liara at her side. Once they were inside, Eliata took off and the vehicle quickly disappeared, heading East into the morning sky.

Shiala tilted her head towards Denai. "What did she take while you were talking?"

"From the luggage?"

"Yes, I couldn't see."

"She removed the box containing the T'Soni sigil and placed it in her shoulder bag."

"That's... surprising. Anything else?"

"The blue slippers."

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

The closer they got to the port, the more impatient Shepard seemed to get. She remained glued to the window from the moment Armali came into view, and was visibly fidgeting by the time the skycar set down not far from the ship. She practically bounded from the car as soon as the doors unlatched, only pausing when she realized that Liara wasn't still beside her. Still, once the maiden was also out of the car, the commander set a brisk pace to the hardstand, making a beeline for the mobile stairs that had been affixed to the portside docking hatch.

Once through decontamination, Liara followed Shepard into the cockpit. She was surprised to see Chief Williams in the co-pilot chair. Both she and Joker gave the commander their full attention, having had plenty of warning due to the decontamination cycle.

As usual, Joker was first first to speak. "Welcome aboard Commander, or do you prefer 'Peeress' now?"

Shepard raised an eyebrow. "You're welcome to call me 'Peeress' when you write to me from your posting piloting shuttles on the Terra - Luna run. Ensign."

Joker decided that it was prudent to abandon that line of discussion. "Yes Commander."

Shepard seemed to consider her point made. "Are we on track for our departure slot? Do we have a current flight plan? How long to the relay? I want to get to Virmire as quickly as possible."

"Departure is still on track for 09:95 local, or about 20 minutes from now. We'll be at the relay about 4 hours after that." Joker waited for the response on _that_ claim.

Shepard tried to decide if this was another of the flight lieutenant's attempts at humor. "Four hours? That's flank speed the entire way. Are you planning on starting a war, or just getting arrested?"

Joker feigned disinterest by examining his fingernails. "That's what you get when you have a dignitary on board. We don't even have to maintain contact with traffic control once we leave close orbit. Everything in system is going to be kept out of our way so long as we stick to our flight plan, and I filed an aggressive flight plan. As aggressive as possible, actually."

Shepard seemed skeptical. "It's nice that they're going to this much trouble for me and all, but..."

Joker interrupted. "Not you Commander; _her_." He indicated Liara, whose look told them both that she'd known who he'd meant all along.

Liara sighed before answering Shepard's questioning look. "I am the head of a Great House, Shepard. That does not mean a great deal outside of the Republics, but inside, particularly in the Parnitha system, my position could be considered equivalent to a head of state."

Chief Williams let out an exasperated sigh. "It just keeps getting better."

Shepard gave the chief an annoyed look. "Stow it Chief. If I can shave 14 hours off our transit time because Liara has contacts, then I'll happily take it. You should do the same."

Williams looked like another comment was forthcoming, but the expression on Shepard's face told her that it wouldn't be welcome. She mentally filed the comment away as one more item to discuss with the commander after the mission. The commander might want to dance afterwards, but that was fine. Best to keep these things out in the open - that's what was best for the unit.

Confident that there was no more discussion to be had, Shepard addressed the room. "Chief, Doctor, briefing will be at nineteen thirty. Pass the word. Joker, get Captain Anderson on comm. I need to find out if there is any new intelligence on Saren that would be a higher priority than Virmire." She waited for a response. When there wasn't one, she turned and started for the comm room.

Liara watched her depart. _'Doctor?'_

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

Liara entered the medbay on her way to her lab. She intended to unpack and change before the briefing, but her mind was on other things. She was so distracted that she almost panicked when Dr. Chakwas drew her into a tight hug.

"It's so good to see you my dear. I'm glad you're still with us."

Liara gave the doctor an ironic smile. "Of course I am still with you. Where else would I go?"

Chakwas chucked. "Where else indeed? Last I checked you had a little place down by the ocean..."

"Benezia has left House T'Soni with much to atone for. Saren has to be stopped." Liara seemed to want to continue, but didn't.

Chakwas took a step back, but still left her hands on the maiden. "That's all there is? You're only here to make amends for your mother's transgressions?"

Liara's response was dispassionate. "What else would there be?"

"I can think of at least one thing my dear." Chakwas led the maiden to a chair and sat her down. "What happened?"

Liara looked away. "Nothing has 'happened' Karin."

Chakwas sat back in her chair. "Of course nothing has happened. You and Shepard certainly haven't been on vid for the last four days trying to outdo each other in how much support you each can provide."

"And it meant nothing Karin. As soon as we were back on board I was 'Doctor T'Soni' again, and she has barely given me a second glance."

Chakwas suppressed a smile. "You are on a military ship my dear. She has to maintain some semblance of discipline and protocol. I'm sure she'd like nothing more than to be open about how she feels, but she probably doesn't think it's appropriate."

Liara was exasperated. "Even if you are correct, what will allow her to acknowledge those kinds of feelings? I thought she was, I mean that we were, that perhaps..."

"That things would be different now?"

"YES!"

Karin took the maiden's hand. "They are different my dear, even if you have difficulty convincing yourself of that. It's not in Shepard's nature to be overt about this kind of thing. It's easier for her to take a bullet for someone than for her to be open about how she feels. You need to give her time."

"That is what I am afraid of Karin. What if we do not have time?"

* * *

A/N: Assumptions here include:  
FemShep/Liara (Not yet LI, but the clock is ticking)  
Later ME1 - after Suspicions and Omissions  
After Noveria, before Virmire

Shepard is:  
Colonist / Vanguard / War Hero

Finally done here. Well, maybe. No varren were harmed in the writing of this fan fiction.

To be followed by:

"Discovery" - a post Virmire one shot.

"Connections" - pre / post Ilos short - 2 or 3 chapters. We all know what happens there.

"Fragments" - Picking up the end of ME1, and through ME2.

As always, feedback is welcome and desired.


	15. Chapter 15 - Coda

The Normandy had taken flight.

Finally, things could get back to normal. No more upheaval as Liara discarded propriety as she tried to undo a thousand years of tradition.

Still, there was one more unpleasant duty to perform.

Alaya activated her omni-tool. "Dona."

The reply was instantaneous. "How may I serve, Matriarch?"

"Have my car in front of the residence in 15 minutes. I'll be going to Armali this morning."

"Yes, Matriarch."

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

The view of Armali held little allure for Alaya. After all, she had seen it many times. When her driver was close to the financial district she took down the privacy shield. "There's no need to park, Nelssa. Just drop me off in front of Mosoth Tower."

"Shall I circle Matriarch?"

"No. Return to the residence."

"The residence Matriarch?"

"Yes, Nelssa. I will be meeting with the barrister all day. I will notify Dona when I'm ready to depart."

"Yes, Matriarch."

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

Alaya was working on her second drink. It wasn't helping any more than the first had.

She hated traveling with the public, and it had been some time since she'd had to. Once Nelssa was out of sight, she'd hailed a taxi to take her to the transit station. From there she'd taken a shuttle to Serrice, and another taxi to the restaurant. All had been on her personal accounts, nothing tying this visit to House T'Soni.

The Diplomat was priced far beyond the quality of the food, but had two features that justified the exorbitant cost. The first was the high backed booths, each with a self-contained privacy field. The second was the location, close to the Assembly. Many an accord had been hammered out at The Diplomat when members of the Conclave were unwilling to have their positions known publicly.

Only self control kept her from checking the hour for a third time, when the individual who ordered this rendezvous slid into the booth across from her.

Alaya swallowed after being affixed by the steely gaze. "Ma'am."

The other Asari reached out and flicked on the privacy field. "The Normandy has departed Thessia." She got right to the point.

"Yes." Alaya knew what was next.

"And Liara was aboard, _Seneschal._" The venom in the woman's voice was unmistakable.

"Yes Ma'am."

"You were instructed not to let this happen. Was I unclear?"

Alaya shifted in her seat. "We had no leverage on Liara, Ma'am. There was nothing that could incentivize her to stay."

"Nothing?" The other matriarch was incredulous. "House T'Soni could literally _buy_ Armali, but you could offer Liara nothing that was a better alternative than heading into enemy fire?"

"I could offer nothing that she didn't want from Shepard!"

"Could you clarify for me why Liara is seeking refuge in the company of a Human?"

Alaya was confused by the turn in conversation. "Ma'am?"

There was a suffering sigh. "Liara feels more connected to Shepard than she does to the House."

Alaya was indignant, "I believe that's an oversimplification..."

"Enough!" The other matriarch slammed her hand on the table. "The House should be her haven, the residence her sanctuary. Would you care to explain why it isn't?"

"Matriarch?" The confusion was clear in her voice. "Liara and Benezia had been estranged for some time. Liara has had no contact with the House since..."

"No contact!? What am I hearing?"

"Benezia would have forbidden..."

The other matriarch shook her head. "Did Benezia ORDER you to not support Liara?"

"Well no, but..."

The matriarch's already angry expression turned darker. "Did it ever occur to you that Benezia likely assumed that Liara WAS being taken care of by the House? That Liara had kept in contact with her associates and confidantes, and that her needs were being attended through unofficial channels? That the House leadership was seeing to the needs of the T'Soni heir? Benezia would not have dreamed that Liara has actually been _on her own_ for nearly 60 years. That Liara hasn't even touched her trust in over 35, and that was to fund an expedition, an expedition that she went on ALONE!?"

Alaya paled. "Ma'am, I..."

The other matriarch reduced her volume, but that made her anger even more unmistakable. "Benezia would never have expected that Liara _had_ no confidantes at the estate, and that House T'Soni had actually turned away from Benezia's only child. She would have believed that Liara was working out her anger with the tacit support of the House staff, and would someday return. That's not the message that Liara received though, was it? Benezia probably had no idea why Liara had gone so long without taking steps to reconcile. She thought she'd been cast aside. It's no wonder that she would become so attached to the first person to demonstrate that they cared about her in nearly 60 years." The matriarch paused before continuing in a threatening tone. "I blame you for this Alaya. You should never have allowed this to happen. The House needs to take care of its own, and you have failed Liara. Completely. If I find out that this is because of bigotry or some misguided belief that Liara needed to be punished for her dispute with Benezia, then I will destroy you."

When there was no response from Alaya, the other matriarch flicked off the privacy field. "You need to fix this Alaya, and I don't mean partially."

"Yes Ma'am," Alaya had turned an even lighter grey.

"Now get out of my sight."

Alaya couldn't get out of the restaurant fast enough.

The remaining occupant of the booth let out another long sigh.

"Dumbass."

* * *

A/N: Assumptions here include:  
FemShep/Liara (Not yet LI, but well, you know)  
Later ME1 - after Suspicions and Omissions  
After Noveria, before Virmire

Shepard is:  
Colonist / Vanguard / War Hero

NOW we're done. This story is continued in Discovery.


End file.
